


She's not there.

by CALLEN37



Category: NCIS
Genre: Family Secrets, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-19
Updated: 2013-05-27
Packaged: 2017-11-26 02:08:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 26,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/645380
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CALLEN37/pseuds/CALLEN37
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony's hiding a secret from his team. When it comes out will he be able to cope with the aftermath. Tony/Gibbs father son Fic rated M for language.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Tony was overjoyed at being reunited with his team again.

When Gibbs turned around and told him to grab his gear and that, he was accompanying the body back to the naval yard made his year. He shot Ziva a huge grin and ran down the corridor.

Gibbs turned and looked at the photo of Ziva; Tony had tacked onto the wall in the Agent Afloat's office. He carefully took it off the wall and put it in his pocket.

"Gibbs!" Ziva protested, but was quickly stopped with a look.

They sat in the COT on the way back and Gibbs handed Tony the picture.

The relief on Tony's face was palpable, "I thought I had forgotten it." He said in a low tone.

He took the picture of Ziva and turned it over to see a picture of a woman and a little girl of about 3 years old smiling with her mommy hidden on the back.

The woman's eyes were sparkling with happiness and the little girl with green eyes and dark brown hair laughed back.

It was one of Tony's happiest memories and he thought back to the day when that picture had been taken.

* * *

"Just hurry up and take the picture Tony!" Kate said exasperated at the time it was taking Tony with the camera.

"Katie….Look at daddy and smile with mommy." Tony called.

Katie had pouted "NO. Don't wanna wear dress." She said stubbornly.

"Katie bear, please smile for daddy!" Tony pleaded.

Just as he was about to put the camera down 3-year-old Katie DiNozzo let out the most beautiful smile he'd ever seen, He took the picture just as Katie Squealed. "PAPA!"

Tony turned as Gibbs walked up the path and scooped the child into his arms.

"Why Katie Elizabeth DiNozzo, you are the most beautiful child I've ever seen," Gibbs said smiling.

"We go to see Poppa D. later at a .rant!" Katie told Gibbs. For a second Gibbs eyes flashed but he hid it quickly.

He smiled at the child's delight, Kate saw the flash, "Come on Katie, lets do your hair into pretty bunches." She said and left the two men alone.

"So, Tony. You letting him back in again?" Gibbs growled.

"He raised me I owe him, he's still family. He wants to be in Katie's life. Kate and I discussed this. I won't let him hurt her." Tony said quietly.

"Like he did you." Gibbs growled.

"He's my step-father, my last link to mom. She needs this." Tony stood his ground. "How's your shoulder feeling?" He asked.

It had been a month since Ari Haswari had shot him and he was healing well. "I'm fine." Gibbs said.

"I've been thinking, McGee he's been here a while and he's going to stay maybe we should bring him in on our little secret,"

"NO!" Tony turned and put his hand on Gibbs' uninjured hand, "The only reason this works it that only the three of us know. If McGee found out and then told Abby everyone would know you would get to keep Kate so the only cost effective way to deal would be to send me away. I can't live without them….Don't please…Dad?" Tony said

"It's ok Tony, It was just an idea." Gibbs placated his son.

They both turned as the girls laughed smiling.

Tony blinked back a tear at the memory.

"You ok?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"Yeah, can't wait to get back I've missed her so much." Tony said.

* * *

Ziva sitting in front of them smiled thinking Tony was talking about her. She had seen her photo on his wall and she was surprised to hear that he treasured it so much.

They landed and before long, Tony found himself back in the office sitting on the edge of his desk.

Gibbs came down from Vance's office hiding a smile knowing that he had his team back and shook his son's hand as Abby slowly released the bone-crushing hug she had him in.

"So you're here to stay?" She asked tentatively

"Sure am Abbs." Tony replied with a grin.

"You want to come out for a drink with us to celebrate?" Tim asked.

"Can't sorry I have to unpack and get settled." Tony said.

"We could always come over and help you." Ziva offered, she did not miss the slightly panicked look Tony shot Gibbs.

"Nope I've got it all in hand thanks." Tony said

"Come on, Home now back early tomorrow." Gibbs ordered.

Tony shot Gibbs as grateful look as the others left.

He gave his son a small smile as he left with a bounce in his step.

Tony pulled up outside the house that was four doors down from Gibbs' home. He grabbed his bag and got out of the car.

Tiredly he walked up the porch and opened the door. There was the sound of laughter and piano playing coming from inside and he quietly placed his bag on the floor and listened to the voices.

"Again, please Auntie Rachel?" Katie asked.

"In a minute Katie, keep practicing." Rachel said and got up; she had felt a breeze on her legs as Tony had opened the door. She left the room and walked up to the front door.

Tony smiling put his finger to her lips as her eyes went wide and she hugged him.

He walked up behind the six-year-old girl and wrapped his arms around her.

"Daddy! My Daddy! You're home!" Katie screamed tears rolling down her cheeks as she turned in her seat and hugged him.

"God Katie, I missed you so much," Tony, said crying as well. He wiped her eyes.

"Come on baby, Papa will be round for dinner later; you want to help me cook." He asked.

Katie jumped down from the piano stool and ran to get changed.

Rachel walked up to him, "Welcome back Tony, is this permanent?" She asked afraid that he was only back temporary.

"Yep, Dad pulled some strings and Vance said I could stay." Tony grinned widely.

Rachel smiled and helped Tony get everything ready for making dinner.

"Ok I'm done and I'm off now, it'll be nice to get back to my apartment for a while." She smiled.

"Thanks Rachel and thank you for having Katie while I was away." He said honestly and thank you for all the letters.

"She missed you lots, once she knew you were actually coming back and weren't in heaven like Caitlin she settled. Although when she was writing you letters she insisted on writing some to Caitlin too, I put them in your nightstand draw." She told him.

He hugged her again and she went to say goodbye to Katie and let the family settle back into their routine.

* * *

For the fourth week in a row, Tony had been late to work. Hoping he would avoid Gibbs' wrath he dropped his bag down on the floor behind his desk.

Ziva looked up, "Gibbs is in MTAC, and he's been looking for you." She said with a slight smirk, "Partying again?" She asked.

Tony groaned and dropped his head on the desk.

"DiNozzo, my office." Gibbs said.

Tony followed him to the elevator and waited as he flipped the switch.

"Well." He asked.

"She's got a stomach bug." DiNozzo replied. "I don't get it boss, Four weeks in a row; I think she's out to get me,"

Gibbs smiled, "She's not out to get you, kids are like that. You should tell the rest of the team, I'm sure they'd want to help, Abby'd spoil her rotten."

Tony's face clouded over, "You were in Mexico, I was left alone with her and they were treating me like shit. You have no idea the amount of times I wanted to tell them about you, I couldn't trust them with that there's no way I would trust them with her and if I had to hear you're not Gibbs one more time I'd have gone crazy."

Gibbs sighed; he knew keeping this secret from the rest of the team would blow up in their faces someday.

"She wants to see you, she's getting antsy at Rachel's," Tony said with a slight grin.

"It's only a few days, besides I remember how bad you were with stomach bugs when you were a kid." Gibbs grinned.

"Yeah and you tell the team that and there'll be a lot more explaining to do." Tony grinned.

"Ok I see your point, but remember the only reason the team don't know is that you insisted,"

"I have my mom's name, you wanna explain that one, especially seeing as the team all now know about Shannon and Kelly." Tony countered.

Gibbs looked at his son, "Suppose not." He conceded and Tony grinned. "This was so much easier when it was just us and Kate."

Tony's smile dropped off, "Yeah."

"I'm sorry son. Listen, the others will think I've killed you by now, I'll pop over and see Katie after work ok?"

"Yeah." Tony said and yelped as he got a head-slap. "What the hell was that for?"

"Realism!" Gibbs smirked as the elevator started up again.

Tony slouched back to his desk.

Ziva smirked at his demeanor "You are in trouble Tony, no?" She asked.

He rolled his eyes at her, glanced at Gibbs, and got back on with his reports.

 


	2. Chapter 2

At lunchtime Ziva Tim and Abby met up for lunch leaving Gibbs and Tony working in the bullpen, "You not going with them?" Gibbs asked.

"Nope, not invited." Tony answered.

Gibbs shook his head, "What the hell happened while I was away?" He asked.

Tony shrugged and got back to his case reports.

His phone rang and he answered it, "DiNozzo...Ok Rachel, thanks. I'll see you later."

"Rachel's taking Katie back to my place; apparently she's not settling at hers."

The others got back as the snow started to fall, "What took you so long." Gibbs growled.

"Pile up on the beltway boss." Tim remarked. "I think it made the news there was a few cars in it, a woman was seriously injured and a child was airlifted to hospital.

Tim turned on the plasma.

Tony paled as he turned to the screen and recognized the license plate and the car on the news.

"Katie!" Tony said in shock as he dropped his coffee, and grabbed his phone and started dialing.

"Come on Rachel!" He begged desperately as he dialed.

Gibbs grabbed his phone, "Call the director and take us off rotation now!" he growled.

Tim called up to Director Vance's office and told him what Gibbs had said and listened to the backlash as Vance complained when McGee could not tell him why.

The elevator opened and two police officers stepped out.

"Noooo!" Tony moaned and sank into his chair with his head in his hands.

Gibbs headed them off.

"Tony, what is going on, I'm your partner we shouldn't have any secrets." Ziva said.

Tony ignored her as he watched Gibbs and the two officers' talk.

Gibbs turned back and looked at his son.

"She's alive."

"Katie?" Tony asked with the most scared look either of the other agents had ever seen on his face.

"Yeah, Rachel….She and Katie are at Bethesda and they've been badly hurt." Gibbs said he walked up to Tony and held him for a minute while he composed himself.

"How bad?" Tony asked his voice shaking.

"Bad, the officers will go with you, I'll be there soon." Gibbs said helping Tony up.

"Gibbs what is going on, Is DiNozzo getting arrested again?" Vance snapped seeing the police officers and Tony grabbing his bag. "I didn't give you permission to leave."

"I'm sorry Director," Tony snarled and the others were taken aback by the ferocity in his words. "But my sister in law and my daughter were just injured on the beltway and are in hospital and the police officers are here to escort me to them, so get the fuck outta my way!" Tony voice had risen to a shout as he pushed past the Director and over to the elevator.

"Sister-in-law?" McGee said.

"Daughter?" Ziva mirrored in shock.

Gibbs shot them both a look, "I'm going with DiNozzo." He said and followed Tony to the elevator.

* * *

Tim looked at Ziva stunned, "We need to let Abby know and head to the hospital they may need our help."

They walked into Abby's lab and Tim turned off the music, "Hey boss…Tim?" she said surprised.

"Abs, there's been an accident on the beltway." Tim said gently.

"Gibbs? Tony?" She asked scared.

"They were here, but apparently Tony has a daughter and a sister in law who were involved. Tim told her.

"That's not a nice joke Timmy, Tony isn't married and he doesn't have a kid." Abby insisted.

"Apparently he does and she's in Bethesda right now. We are going do you wanna come with us?" Ziva asked.

Abby nodded dumbly and grabbed her bag and they left.

* * *

The officers with Tony talked quietly on the way to the hospital, keeping him up to date on their arrival time.

"Mr. DiNozzo, Sir?" the officers said. They looked at each other, as Tony did not acknowledge them, "Sir….Tony?"

Tony looked up

"We're here sir." They said and he got out.

They walked him as far as the nurses' station.

"Tony DiNozzo, here for Katie DiNozzo, I'm her father."

"Mr. DiNozzo, your daughter has been taken in for emergency surgery, can you please fill these forms out and wait here, I'll have someone come out as soon as I can." The nurse said, "Is her mother on her way?" she asked.

Tony's voice, face and answer broke her heart, "She's dead."

The nurse guided him into the chair.

He sat there staring at the forms not sure what to do.

* * *

Half an hour later, he heard the door go and the familiar sound of clumpy boots walked up the hall.

He looked up at the faces of Abby, Tim and Ziva.

Abby bent down and hugged him but Tony shook her off.

"What are you doing here?" He asked blankly.

"Tim told us about your daughter…we…just wanted to be here for you." Abby said.

Tony went back to staring at the form.

"Tony please, we want to help." Ziva said quietly.

"Help!" Tony replied incredulously, "Exactly how can you help, Can you stop the truck from flipping, and can you heal Ka…." He collapsed onto the chair, "I don't even know if she's going to survive."

The others sat nearby watching him.

Everything they had known about Tony was wrong, they had assumed he was a frat boy and now to find out he was a husband and a father.

"What about her mother, your wife do you want us to call her?" Tim asked also trying to help.

"Thanks for the thought Tim, but she's dead."

"Oh I'm sorry Tony, how?" he asked

"Shot in the head." He said flatly.

Tim shuddered; it brought back memories for all of them. For Abby and Tim memories of Kate and for Ziva memories of Ari.

"When?" Tim asked.

Tony ignored him and got up to pace the room.

* * *

Gibbs turned up and looked at the others in the room; maybe this would be good for his son.

"Tone, I called A.D and Jackson, they are on their way."

"Thanks, I….I can't can you?" He asked pushing the paperwork into Gibbs' hands.

Gibbs smiled at his son, "Sit, I'll do it," He grabbed a pen and started filling out the forms.

"You knew?" Abby asked as Tony walked over to the window again.

"Yep." Gibbs said

"You didn't tell us?" She continued.

"Nope." He replied.

"Why not?" Ziva asked.

"You're investigators, you of all people should have known, you did an extensive background check on us all and you missed it." Gibbs growled. "You broke rule eight on both Tony and me. You assumed."

"Family of Katie DiNozzo." A doctor called.

Tony and Gibbs walked up to the doctor. "How is she?" Gibbs asked.

"Resting comfortably, there was a piece of metal tore her femoral artery in her leg, there was a lot of blood loss, but we stabilized her and she's sleeping now, we'll have her moved to a room in an hour."

Tony shook the doctor's hand, "Thank you." He said with tears in her eyes then he walked to the window and looked at the clouds, "She's gonna be fine Kate." He whispered.

 


	3. Chapter 3

Tony walked into the room where Katie lay in sleeping. He sank onto the chair by her bed and could not stop the tears that flowed at the sight of his child in such pain.

Her dark brown hair lay fanned out across the pillow and Abby gasped as she slipped in the door behind him.

Tony's head snapped around.

"What are you doing in here?" He hissed mindful of his sleeping child.

"I thought you would want someone with you," Abby whispered back.

"No, you thought you'd be the first one to get a sight of Katie, we don't need you, and I don't need you." Tony snapped.

"That's not it at all." Abby said tears forming in her eyes.

"Yeah so you still gonna tell me I'm not good enough and I'm not Gibbs so I can't do this. Get out!" He hissed

Abby teared up and left.

She burst into the waiting room and hugged Tim, "He was so mean." She cried.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it Abbs, he's just upset." Tim consoled her.

Abby wiped her eyes, "She is beautiful though, he called her Katie." She said.

Tim started to piece things together.

'Na.' He thought, there was no way DiNozzo had married Caitlin Todd, All three of them had worked together closely he would have known if they were involved.

Tony walked out his head hung.

"Abby, I'm sorry." He said and hugged the Goth,

"No you're right I shouldn't have barged in, she is beautiful though." Abby smiled at him.

Tony gave a small grin.

"She's definitely stubborn like her mother." He smiled.

* * *

Gibbs walked in the room, "Rachel's out of surgery." He said putting his arm on Tony's shoulder.

"Have you called…?" Tony started to ask as the doors opened again and a large man strode across the room grabbed Tony by the collar and slammed him into the wall.

"How many of my children are you trying to kill?" He yelled oblivious to the fact that both Ziva and McGee had drawn their weapons on the man to protect Tony.

"Sam, it wasn't my fault," Tony protested ignoring his team and concentrating on the man in front of him.

"Get the hell off him!" Gibbs growled pulling Sam off his son.

Sam collapsed into a chair and put his head in his hands.

"Caitlin died because she jumped in front of a bullet to protect you, and now Rachel is…is." Sam broke down as Tony looked to Rachel's mother.

"Ruth?" He asked fearfully.

Ruth's face was impassive, "Rachel has broken her back, and we don't know if she will ever walk again. Her life and career are in ruins because she chose to help look after your child."

"She's her niece and your granddaughter." Tony snapped, "Rachel loved spending time with her."

"Yes while you who are supposed to be the perfect parent left her for three months." Ruth snapped. "Her mother was dead and you left her to gallivant on that ship."

"I had no choice," Tony snapped.

"Why because you were too scared to tell anyone about her, you didn't want the stigma of being a single parent to cramp your party lifestyle." She snapped cruelly at him.

"ENOUGH!" Gibbs' voice echoed down the hall.

"Jethro I should have known you'd defend him." Sam growled.

"Of course I'll defend him," Gibbs growled, "Now back off and settle down," He said and Sam and Ruth Todd sat down holding hands.

"Rachel has broken her C5 and C6 vertebrae the doctors are doubtful she will walk." Ruth told Gibbs.

"Doctor Cranston?" Tim asked.

Sam nodded. "Yes she's our daughter do you know her?" He asked.

"Yes, I'm Tim McGee I used to work with Kate." He said.

Sam smiled "She spoke highly of you." He said, "Did she tell you when she married him?" He asked pointedly looking at Tony.

"I'm going to sit with Katie; do you want to see her?" Tony asked the Todds circumventing Tim's answer.

"I…." Ruth started.

"Yes Mrs. Todd, I know you hate me and I know it's my fault that Caitlin is dead and Rachel has been hurt, but your six year old granddaughter who loves you both very much despite the way you treat her is here, sick. Now, I do not trust you as much as I can throw you. But she may get better quicker if she hears your voice." Tony said.

"No it's not. Kate's death and Rachel's accident are not you're fault." Gibbs said, "But you are right about Katie seeing her grandparents.

"And we are here." Jackson said as he and Anthony DiNozzo Senior walked into the waiting room.

Tony smiled and hugged Jackson warmly. "Grandpa, Senior." He added turning to his stepfather.

"How is she Junior?" Senior asked him.

"She's still asleep; they are keeping her sedated for another 24 hours." Tony said with a shaky breath.

"Dad, you and A.D. wanna go sit with her while I talk to Sam and Ruth." Gibbs said.

Jackson took Senior's arm, "Come on A.D time to see our little one." They walked past the Todds and headed for Katie's room.

"Looks like you have a reprieve." Tony snarked. Gibbs laid a hand on his shoulder and steered him away from them.

* * *

Tony looked at Gibbs as soon as they had gone far enough from the others that they could not be heard.

"Dad, it's all falling down around my ears, they are gonna find out. What are we going to do?" he said desperately.

"It's time we told them the truth." Gibbs said. "Stay here."

Knowing Katie was with Jackson and Senior he sat down and waited as Gibbs came back with Ziva, Tim and Abby.

Gibbs sat them down and while Tony stared at the floor, Gibbs started to talk.

"We have something you guys need to know." Gibbs told them.

"We've already figured it out Boss, Tony and Kate broke rule 12." Tim said.

Gibbs sighed, "Yeah there is that….but that's not it."

Tony looked up at his father, "please?" He asked quietly but Gibbs shook his head.

The others looked confused what could be more important than the fact Tony and Kate had been married and they had a daughter, although the information was shocking it should not affect Tony this much.

Abby crouched down to Tony, "Oh Tony is it worse, is she dying?" Abby asked.

Tony shook his head.

"Tony is my son." Gibbs said straight out.

"We know you think of him as a son, why is that now a need to know?" Ziva asked.

"No, Tony is my biological son, I am his father." Gibbs said, "We didn't tell anyone as I want him on my team."

Abby looked hurt, she had thought of herself as Gibbs' daughter and thought maybe that he would act differently with her now. Tim and Ziva were shocked. "Why did you hide this?" Tim asked, "I thought we were a team and yet you've both been lying to us. If anything happened in the field would you have our backs?"

Tony stood up and looked distraught, "See this is why I didn't tell them!" He laughed sourly "And yet they still would say I'm not a Gibbs."

"Sit." Gibbs said putting his hand on his sons shoulder and pushing him gently into his seat.

"How is he your son, Senior is here he call's him dad?" Ziva asked confused.

"That my beautiful Ziva is because I am his stepfather, he is named after me as I was married to his mother but Jethro here is Anthony's father." Senior said coming up behind them.

"Dad? Is Katie ok?" Tony asked.

"She's still sleeping Junior, your grandfather is with her, and I thought I would let the Todd's go in while he's there." Senior said kindly.

"Excuse me, but Anthony how does your son, have your name?" Ziva asked.

"It's a long story." Senior began.

* * *

"I met Elizabeth, Tony's mom my last year in high school," Gibbs said quietly "I was on a trip to New York, She was with her parents visiting the DiNozzo's and she had grown tired of the parties and gone to The Empire state building to sight see, I met her there and ditched my group."

Gibbs sat down as he reminisced about his meeting with Elizabeth Paddington, "I loved her accent, she was British and I thought it was cool. My friends covered for me on the trip as we dated, when I left to go back to Stillwater I didn't know she was pregnant," He said and stepped back as Senior took up the story.

"I didn't know either; our marriage was arranged as is the custom amongst wealthy people sometimes. I was pleased when Elizabeth told me she was expecting so soon after our marriage and for years, we both thought Anthony was my child. Until she got ill when Junior was seven."

"I'm going for coffee." Tony announced and stood up and left.

"This is hard for him to hear, but you need to hear it, go on A.D." Gibbs said.

"Elizabeth started to get ill, forgetful and her personality changed, she stopped spending time with Tony and started to drink more and more, it wasn't until I got back from a business trip to be informed that Anthony had broken his wrist. I arrived at the hospital to find he had been there for three days, his mother had forgotten he was there. That was when I knew something was wrong. We had her checked out and found out that she had a brain tumor, unfortunately by the time we caught it, it was inoperable." Senior took a deep breath and sighed.

"When she died I didn't take it well, I….I had a small alcohol problem." Senior stopped as Gibbs snorted.

"Little!" Gibbs interjected.

"Fine I had a big problem, At this point I still thought that Junior was my biological child and I was a terrible father, I didn't hit him, but he was so much like my Elizabeth that I withdrew from him. I sent him away to school and tried to avoid spending any time with him…While he was away I found letters my wife had written to Jethro saying he was Anthony's father but that she wasn't ready to let her son go. She had it in her head that I would send him away."

"So how did you find out?" Abby asked Gibbs.

"He found out when I was taken into foster care." Tony said walking in with a coffee for Gibbs.

 


	4. Chapter 4

14-year-old Anthony DiNozzo Junior sat in the managers' office at the Hyatt Hilton Hotel in Maui. The manager was on the phone with his father who had left two days before.

He swung his legs whilst sitting on the chair absentmindedly listening in to the phone conversation the manager was having.

"Sir, you left your child behind, you need to come and collect him…NO! I cannot just shove him on an airplane and send him back, this is not lost luggage it is a child!" The manager said outraged. He suddenly found himself holding onto a phone listening to a dial tone. "I cannot believe he just hung up on me, its 9am and he's drunk!" The manager said aloud.

"Hey," Tony shrugged "It's five o'clock somewhere right?" He said as usual making excuses for his father. "So, is he paying for a plane ticket or am I making my own way home again." He asked not bothered either way.

The manager looked shocked as Tony picked up his bag, "Ok so I'm working my way home again then. No big." He started to head towards the door.

"No you're not; I cannot allow you to leave." The manager said as Tony started to back away scared.

"B...But he knows I'm gone I only have three days to make it back." He began subconsciously rubbing his wrist.

"Stay there." The manager said and walked out locking his door. He hated doing it to the kid, but it was obvious that he was going to run the first chance he got and the manager had to call child services.

Two hours and one very pissed off Anthony DiNozzo Junior later the manager and two women came back into the office.

"Where the hell have you been, this is kidnapping, I'm going to call the police." Tony said sitting on the manager's desk.

"I am the police, I am Officer Stutz and this is Miss McCann from child services." The police officer said.

"I…I don't need child services, I just need this stupid guy to let me go home." Tony said.

"Your step-father has signed you over to us and has asked us to find your real father to take you to him." Miss McCann said,

"WHAT! I don't have a step-father!" Tony shouted and backed into the corner. "DON'T TOUCH ME!" He screamed as the social worker tries to help him up.

All three adults looked on sadly as the boy burst into tears "I'm sorry daddy let me come home." He sobbed curled up in the corner with his head resting on his knees.

"Tony…" Anna McCann said softly "We have a name for your father, we can try contacting him."

"His name is Anthony DiNozzo Senior and he lives in New York." Tony said his breath catching with each sobbed word.

"Actually according to the file we've been sent his name is Leroy Jethro Gibbs and he lives in Alexandria."

Tony's head shot up, "What? My father's black?" he looked at himself and smiled. "Seriously! Come on look at me do I look mixed race to you?"

"No he's not, Anthony…"

"Tony." Tony snapped.

"What?" The social worker asked confused.

"Well, if I'm not Anthony DiNozzo then my name is Tony." He said stubbornly.

Officer Stutz picked up Tony's bag, "That's mine." Tony said and grabbed it back; so many things had been taken from him today he would be dammed if he were letting anyone else take anything else from him today.

* * *

Three days later a very sullen and subdued Tony DiNozzo stood outside a house in East Laurel Street in Alexandria clutching the bag of things he had had with him in Hawaii when his whole life fell apart.

"Here we are." Anna said brightly, "Shall we."

"This guy could be a mass murderer for all you know." Tony mumbled under his breath.

They knocked at the door and an older man answered. "Mr. Gibbs?" Anna asked.

"Nope, I'm his Boss. Name's Mike Franks, This the kid?" he asked letting them inside.

"Tony DiNozzo, Pleased to meet you." Tony said extending his hand and firing off a dazzling smile. "So, where's my dad?"

"On his way back from the lawyers' office with the custody papers." Franks said.

Tony's smile slipped a little, "C...Custody papers, how do you even know this guy's really my dad?"

"We did a DNA test, and there is a letter from your mother."

"How the hell did you get my DNA?" Tony said rounding on the social worker glaring at her.

To Mike Franks that one look was all he needed to realize that this was Jethro's son.

"Your….Mr. DiNozzo provided us with your Toothbrush for DNA." Anna told him.

Tony turned and looked around the room at what he had to concede was indeed his fathers house. He saw a picture of a woman on the mantelpiece, "Is that my new mom?" He asked not even trying to hide the small scared quiver in his voice.

"Na, that's Ginger, Jethro's second wife, he's just signed the divorce papers today while he's at the court house, Seems she was mad at him over not telling her about you, stupid woman divorced him." Franks said grinning, he owed the kid one for that, Ginger was a lawyer and Mike could not stand her.

* * *

Just then, the door burst open and a soaking wet Jethro came in, "Hey Mike is he here yet?" Gibbs called.

Tony turned and looked for the first time at his father.

He balled his hands up into fists while controlling his emotions.

"Hey are you Tony?" Gibbs asked smiling.

Tony took a step back, "Yes Sir," He said extending his arm.

Gibbs pulled him into a hug and was surprised as Tony stiffened, "You ok?"

Tony looked confused, "What was that?" he asked.

"What?" Now it was Gibbs' turn to look confused. "The hug?"

"A what?" Tony backed away, "Why did you do that?"

"You're my son and I love you." Gibbs said plainly. "And I want to show you I love you."

Tony stiffened.

Gibbs walked up to Tony, bent over to talk to him, and was surprised as Tony cowered.

Gibbs had read the file he'd been sent on DiNozzo and was surprised by this reaction. "Tony?"

"You gonna hurt me?" Tony asked, "You know that Hug thing again?" he asked.

"Have you never been hugged before?" Gibbs asked.

"Not like that…last time someone did that….it hurt." Tony's voice trailed off.

Gibbs started tearing up. Three days ago, he discovered he was the father of an abandoned child and to find out in the fourteen years before he knew he was a father someone had hurt his kid damn near broke his heart.

"I will never hurt you son." Gibbs said.

"Yes Sir!" Tony said standing to attention. He didn't know what else to do, how to behave so he decided to fall back on his military academy training until he could figure out exactly how this man wanted him to behave.

Gibbs took a step back. Ok, he hadn't expected hearts and flowers but this was the opposite end of the spectrum entirely.

"Let's get your stuff squared away." He said grabbing Tony's bag.

Tony clenched his fists just wanting to take his bag and run away, but with the two men there, he thought better of it.

"Where am I to be quartered Sir?" Tony asked.

Gibbs stopped, "OK, it's Jethro, Dad or Gibbs. Not Sir, I work for a living."

"Yes Si…Gibbs," Tony said, not willing to call him dad yet.

"And this is your room, not your quarters, you are not in the army," Gibbs said. "My room is across the hall and this is the bathroom." He said pointing to the door next to his.

"But….Gibbs, that's so close…I mean…Yes Si….Gibbs." Tony started to get flustered.

"You unpack and I'll see you later when you're done." Gibbs closed the door and went back downstairs.

Tony sat on the bed.

He'd always been kept at the far end of the house because he was an imposition, he had learned to make no noise and not to bother anyone and his three days, well two and a half if you didn't count the flight time, in foster care had taught him that he was as worthless as he had been told.

Therefore, he sat on the bed too scared to unpack or to move, and that was where Gibbs found him three hours later.

After Anna had gone and Tony had been coaxed downstairs with the prospect of Pizza, he and Gibbs sat at the table and talked through what was expected of him.

 


	5. Chapter 5

For the next few weeks, Tony felt adrift.

He had tried, every time Gibbs had left him alone to call the house. Twice he had spoken to the housekeeper who had asked him how his new school was and had no idea when his father would be back. When Gibbs was there, he was attentive and nice and it freaked Tony out no end.

Gibbs came in with an armful of shopping and Tony dropped what he was doing and rushed to help.

"Here, I'll take that." Tony said

"Thanks." Gibbs replied letting his son help.

For Gibbs' part it had been a tense few weeks, He had already lost one child and his first wife. His second wife had divorced him after finding out he had a child he had not told her about. Even though he had not known that, he was a father himself. To find himself a father to a 14 year old had been a shock, but being a marine he'd stood up to his responsibilities

That first night Tony had listened patiently to what was expected of him and to be honest he had been surprised that the boy had not put a foot wrong. He had been polite to Gibbs' neighbors kept his room tidy and looked through the flyers for the different local schools that Gibbs had left with him marking each one with a list of pro's and con's. Heck the boy even did his own laundry. This made Gibbs feel kind of superfluous. Nevertheless, he kept trying.

Tony had talked about his mother, how she died; he understood that Gibbs would want to know. He told him about Senior, how he was not really a bad person just lost.

* * *

Tony helped unpack the shopping; he had just started to get to the point where he was thinking of trusting Gibbs when he pulled out a bottle of bourbon. A dark look crossed his face for a second; he should have known that no matter what this man said he would be like his father. All it would take would be one wrong look or word or whatever this man's trigger was and he would be beating Tony as much as his father did. Not knowing what Gibbs' trigger was Tony just decided not to say anything unless he was spoken to.

The only thing Tony wanted was his dad. Not the imposter who shared his DNA, but his real dad. The one whose name he shared who had been there…metaphorically even if not actually during his life growing up, the man he remembered his mom with.

Gibbs made steaks and potatoes and they sat at the table.

"So how did school hunting go?" Gibbs asked.

"I looked, but I'd like to go back to RIMA, I have friends there." Tony stated.

"It's kinda expensive…." Gibbs said thoughtfully trying to find a way to pay for it.

"The local high school looks good too and I can always make new friends," Tony said not wanting to anger Gibbs.

"For God sakes Tony!" Gibbs banged his hand on the table in frustration, "It's ok to want something."

Tony flinched and jumped up from the table. "I want my dad." He said

"I am your dad," Gibbs said realizing he had made a mistake.

"No I want my real dad." Tony said tears in his eyes, "I want to know why he doesn't want me,"

"Tony I…." Gibbs reached out to hug his son.

"NO!" Tony ran off to his room grabbing Gibbs' cell phone on the way up.

He threw himself on his bed sobbing and dialed his dad's number.

"Anthony DiNozzo." The voice on the other end said.

The man listened as for a few moments all he heard was sobbing.

"Anthony?" he said, "Man up boy DiNozzo's don't cry."

"D….Dad?" Tony sniffed, "Daddy I miss you."

Anthony DiNozzo senior was not made of stone, despite what he had done a few weeks ago when he had been drunk he loved the boy. He knew that telling him about his father had been needed he could not keep pretending his was his real father when that Gibbs man had been proven to be it. He thought he had done the right thing by giving up custody to his biological father. He thought he was doing what had been best for the boy. Now he was not so sure.

"Are you well Anthony, Is….is that man hurting you?" He asked concerned.

"Noooo." Tony sobbed, "But I miss you and all my friends and my school and my home."

"Mr. Gibbs is your father, I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, you need to remain with him."

"But daddy, I'm sorry, I don't know what I did but I can fix it….Don't you want me?" Tony's heart broke with each declaration.

Anthony DiNozzo Senior found a tear working its way down his face.

"Oh my boy of course I want you, I love you, but this is the best way. Can I talk to Mr. Gibbs?" He asked hoping to find out what had happened from him.

"He's out." Tony lied.

"Very well Anthony, Get some sleep and I will talk to him tomorrow."

Tony closed up the phone and snuck downstairs to replace it.

"Where you been with that?" Gibbs asked

"I…" Tony did not know what answer would be right so he stopped. He knew one of the rules was no lying but he did not want to tell him exactly who he had been calling.

"OK, so if you're not going to tell me you can go to your room now and we'll talk later." Gibbs said, hoping Tony would eventually open up to him.

"Yes Sir," Tony said turned on his heels and fled upstairs.

Gibbs picked up his cell phone and hit the redial button.

Unsurprisingly , Gibbs and Senior talked long into the night about what would be best for 'their' boy.

* * *

The next morning Tony came down to breakfast to find Gibbs up and waiting for him. He had thought he would be at work by now so was surprised to see him sitting there. "Gibbs aren't you going to be late for work?" He asked.

"Nope took the day off." Gibbs said

Tony inwardly groaned he had planned to buy a bus ticket with some money he had found in a box to get back to New York, he figured he would get back and then pay Gibbs back later.

"We have visitors today." Gibbs told him.

"Oh." Was all Tony said, He thought maybe Gibbs was going to tire of him as well.

"Your Grandpa is coming and the social worker wanted to check in on you too. Also I have to talk to someone about your schooling." Gibbs told him.

Tony picked at his breakfast for a while and then cleared his things away as the doorbell rang.

"Hey dad." Gibbs said as Jackson walked in.

Tony turned around and saw an older looking version of Gibbs standing there. "Dad this is my son Tony DiNozzo."

Jackson looked at him and stuck his hand out, "Pleased t'meet ya son," he said having been warned about hugs.

Tony shook hands with him, "Sir." He said formally.

"So tell me about yourself." Jackson said and sat down as Tony told him about his love of movies and basketball

"And I got onto the team at RIMA!" Tony said with a smile on his face, which faltered for a second and then was replaced, "But I hear the local high school has a good team too."

"I'll bet they do son." Jackson said not noticing the slip.

Gibbs had noticed and a small smile crept across his face.

* * *

An hour later, a large black car pulled up outside Gibbs' house.

"Wow would ya look at that fancy car!" Jackson exclaimed.

Tony looked up hope flared in his chest but it was not until the older man got out that Gibbs got to see the first real smile cross his son's face.

"DAD!" He yelled and launched himself out of the door.

Senior opened his arms and hugged Tony.

"I've missed you Junior."

Inside Jackson laid a hand on his son's shoulder. "That's a good thing you did boy." He said,

"I just hope this works dad, The social worker says it should be ok and I talked to senior about it last night, Shared parenting like this doesn't usually happen, but I think it's what Tony needs." Gibbs said. "You wait till he hears he can go back to RIMA."

* * *

The social worker slipped past Tony and Senior and walked into the house.

"You were right Mr. Gibbs, this was the right move," She said looking at the boy's face,

"He was dumped in the deep end, I am his father I won't abandon him, what Senior did, he did out of grief and desperation, Although he will be closely monitored and Tony will not be left unsupervised with him, completely cutting him of from the man he thinks of as his father could do him some permanent damage."

Tony walked back in Senior walking behind him.

"Thanks Gibbs." Tony said and gave him a genuine smile.

"Let's sit down shall we." Anna said gesturing to the table.

They all sat down, "Now Tony, You know that Mr. Gibbs is your biological father, that means you share DNA, but you grew up the child of Anthony DiNozzo Senior and you care about him a lot too. So much so that Mr. Gibbs here says you were planning on stealing some money to buy a bus ticket back to New York." She said noting Tony's surprise.

"Yeah." He said looking at his feet.

"Well Mr. Gibbs and Mr. DiNozzo have come up with a solution, it's called shared custody." Anna told him.

Tony looked at them suspiciously.

"It means Junior that although your dad, Mr. Gibbs has you come and spend time with him over the holidays and out of school term times and your father Mr. DiNozzo will have you weekends when you are allowed home from RIMA."

"I'm going back!" Tony grinned.

"Yes, However, weekends with your father will be supervised so that a repeat of Hawaii never happens again."

Tony looked at Gibbs, "You ok with this….I mean….I wanna see my dad but you're my dad too and I want to get to know you."

"We will have our whole lives and this way I have you safe and you have the best of both worlds and I will make sure that Senior  **never** forgets you again."

"I've already signed up for AA meetings Junior and have had to destroy all the alcohol in the house as part of the agreement for having you on the weekends." Senior said.

Tony smiled, two dads both caring about him, maybe life was not going to be so bad.

* * *

Abby ,Tim and Ziva looked at each other.

"Wow, really?" Abby said.

"Yeah," Tony said, "We had a few rocky patches over the years and then I tackled Dad in Baltimore, you know he was the reason I became a cop. Then I got the job at NCIS."

"And that's why you kept the name DiNozzo instead of Gibbs?" Ziva asked.

"Erm, No, It was my mom's name so that's why I kept it. There was no deception intended but if everyone knew I was Gibbs' son they would have thought it was favoritism that got me the job and not my awesome detective skills." Tony said.

A nurse walked up and tapped Tony on the shoulder, "Mr. DiNozzo, Ms. Cranston is asking to see you."

 


	6. Chapter 6

Tony's face lit up, "She's awake?" He asked

"Yes, she's asked if she can see you alone." The nurse said.

Tony looked at Gibbs, "Can you check on Katie for me." The unspoken keep and eye on Rachel's parents came across loud and clear.

He nodded in reply and Tony walked towards Rachel's room.

Rachel was in her bed and it was tilted to a 45-degree angle so she could see people properly.

"How are you?" Tony asked, mentally head slapping himself as the question left his mouth, of course she wasn't all right she was paralyzed and it was all his fault.

"Stop." She snapped.

He froze thinking he had hurt her, "Oh God Rach…did I do something? Are you hurt? Do you need a nurse?" All three questions shot out of his mouth.

"I'm fine," She shrugged her shoulders "Apart from not being able to walk. Which is  **not** your fault." She added.

"But, if you hadn't been with Katie…" Tony started.

"I would have been dead." Rachel said flatly. "Katie dropped her doll, if we had left when I meant us to we would have been further in the pile up and I would have been dead so would she." She took a deep breath, "This is going to be a big adjustment, but I can still work and I'll have to move, my apartment doesn't have an accessible lift, but I am  **alive**  Tony and so is Katie that is the most important thing." She said. She wasn't going to tell him that when she first found out she screamed and cried for an hour.

"Have you told your mom and dad yet?" he asked

Rachel nodded, "Mom and Dad wanted me to move home, I told them no, my life, my friends and you and Katie are here, she lost her mom, I won't walk….er I mean I won't leave her." She said.

Tony looked at her, for him being paralyzed was the most terrible thing he could think of but she was handling it as if she had been born to it.

"How long are you going to be in here?" He asked.

"I have to see a psychologist and a therapist and get fitted for a chair, plus starting physical therapy so I think I should be able to leave in about three months or so they say." She told him.

"Move in with me and Katie." He offered.

"What?" She said surprised.

"Please…I can have an extension built and the adaptations all done, that way Katie can have you around still," he said.

Rachel smiled. "I'd like that, my keys are in my bag over there, and can you give notice to my landlord and move my stuff out." Tony nodded and grabbed her keys from her purse. As he left he heard her say to herself wistfully, "I'm gonna miss that place."

Tony walked out of Rachel's room and into his dad, he and Gibbs took a few minutes to iron out a plan for Rachel's things to be transferred to Tony's house and for builders, Tony and Gibbs to remodel the house ready for her arrival.

* * *

Sam and Ruth walked along the corridor as Tony walked to Katie's room.

"Is she still asleep?" Tony asked.

They nodded, Tony assumed as always that they didn't want to speak to him and was just passing as Ruth touched his arm, "Thank you." She said quietly.

Tony stopped and looked at her, "What for?"

"For not allowing our behavior to stop us from seeing Katie, she looks so much like her mother." Ruth said with love on her face.

Tony smiled "She acts like Cait too, they have the same mannerisms, maybe while Rachel is recuperating you could stick around and get to know her," He offered.

"I…we'd like that." Ruth said.

Tony decided that the new-found truce with his in-laws was too precious to break so he gestured for them to sit on a row of nearby chairs. "I have asked Rachel to move in with me," he said.

Sam tensed up and balled his hands into fists.

Tony spotted it, "No Sam, Not like that… She wants to stay in Katie's life I'm going to have the house remodeled there is enough room for her to have a self-contained apartment on the back of my house and I share a fence with my fathers back garden we will open that to make a bigger garden for Katie to play in. The rest of my house will be adapted for Rachel to have complete access to."

"But that will cost a fortune!" Sam exclaimed

"It's not a problem, I have money from my mother and both my fathers are willing to help, They both love Rachel and get on well with her and wanted to help, Gibbs is a skilled carpenter and A.D has contacts in the building trade." Tony told them.

"But….but we thought…" Sam started.

"Yes I know what you thought about me, Cait told me when she told you we were married and she was expecting, you thought I was after your money Sam. I know you made a lot of money on Wall Street, but what she didn't tell you was we didn't need it, I still have the checks you sent her she refused to cash them."

Sam looked shocked.

"I may have an Immigrant name, like you told her, but I come from an American Father and an English Aristocrat mother, I was not and never have been an Italian throw back." Tony snarled. "Now before I change my mind about you seeing my daughter I'm going to be with her," he said and walked off leaving the stunned couple sitting on the row of chairs looking at him in shock.

* * *

He walked down the corridor letting the negative thoughts and feeling bleed from him. So by the time he entered Katie's room he was much calmer.

He walked in the room to find Abby and Jackson sitting quietly by Katie's side.

"Hey Grandpa." Tony said as he entered.

Jackson looked at Abby concerned, "Tony?"

Tony smiled, "They know, there wasn't a lot of point hiding it anymore." He said.

Abby looked at Jackson, "It explains why you gave Tony that cardigan when we all came to Stillwater."

Jackson smiled, "It was cold and Tony's never been good at wrapping up warm."

"How is she?" Tony asked looking at the still form of his daughter.

"Still like sleeping beauty," Abby said, "The doctor said they will be lowering her sedation soon so hopefully she'll wake up later."

Tony moved his chair closer to Katie's bed and held her hand.

"Wake up soon Bambina, Papa's missing you and so am I." He whispered as two tears rolled down his cheeks.

 


	7. Chapter 7

As Tony sat watching his little girl, he could not help his thoughts drifting back to him and Cait.

Although initially annoyed by his 'frat boy' persona, Cait had given in and soon after the incident on Air Force One, she had agreed to date him. For months, Tony had said nothing to either of his fathers knowing Gibbs would be annoyed. However, little by little he had fallen in love with Special Agent Caitlin Todd and she with him.

Initially they had talked about keeping their relationship a separate thing from work, which she agreed with. However, as he realized that he wanted to marry her he knew he would have to tell her about his family, which in turn involved him telling Gibbs about them.

He had gone to the house after work as his heating was off again and he was staying in his old room until it was fixed.

Gibbs sat on the couch waiting for the fireplace to get hot enough for steaks as Tony walked in, "Hey dad." He said throwing his bag down by the door and shucking off his shoes. "I'll just be a minute," He draped his jacket over the back of the chair and ran upstairs to be changed. Three minutes later in jeans and a sweatshirt he curled up on Gibbs' sofa reminding Gibbs of his son as a teenager how he would sit there for hours reading dime store crime novels Jethro had saved from his childhood.

"Hungry?" Gibbs asked

Tony nodded and got his knife out of his pocket and handed his dad his plate, He was a lot quieter than usual and Gibbs knew what he wanted to ask about as he had seen the receipt from the jewelry store as he had emptied the trash from his son's room.

"So, when you gonna ask her?" Gibbs asked taking a bite of his steak.

Tony choked but after a swig of beer cleared his throat.

"How long have you known?" He asked.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, He had only known for a few hours having emptied the trash as he got home, he had headslapped himself for not seeing it before, but best not to ruin the all knowing parental mystique he had going there.

"OK, Ok I know you know everything, Dad…Are you mad about rule 12?" He asked.

"Na, that was just to stop me remaking a stupid mistake. Do you love her?" Gibbs asked and he nodded. "And does she love you?"

"God, I hope so!" Tony replied.

"Then nope." Gibbs smirked as Tony relaxed. "Did you tell her about me?" Gibbs asked.

"Not yet…Can I call her now…we can tell her together." Tony asked not really wanting to explain this alone.

Gibbs nodded and sat back eating his steak and watching his son nervously ring the girl of his dreams and invite her over, Senior Field Agent or not Every man was a kid when it came to finding the courage to bring his best girl back to meet the parents or his this case the Boss/Parent.

Tony closed his phone, "She doesn't know why she's coming but she'll be an hour." He grinned. His smile slipped off his face as he saw the trail of devastation he had left upon entering this evening "Dad! She's coming I gotta clean up!" He panicked picking up their plates and hurrying to the kitchen.

Gibbs smiled even wider, he wondered if his father had gotten as much perverse pleasure out of watching him panic when Shannon was due over to meet his father, as he was now getting watching Tony do the same thing.

"I'll be in the basement." Gibbs called not sure, if Tony heard him while he was running around cleaning.

* * *

Exactly an hour later Caitlin turned up at the address Tony had given her.

She was surprised to see Gibbs' car out front.

She knocked on the door as Tony ran to answer it she knew he had forgotten where he was as she could see him through the glass smooth down his hair and clothes before opening the door.

"Hey Cait." He smiled and let her in.

"Hi Tony, Whose house is this?" She asked, "I noticed Gibbs' car out front is he here too?"

"Er…yeah, come in Cait, I wanted you to meet my dad." Tony said shyly

That caught Cait's attention, Anthony DiNozzo shy and nervous well this was a first.

"Come and sit down, do you want a drink?" He asked.

"Nope an explanation though, you said your father lived in New York and had a mansion….This is a little small and a little closer than New York." She pointed out.

"Cait…you know I love you." Tony started.

Cait's face fell. 'Oh dear God don't let him be breaking up with me' she thought desperately.

"There's something I haven't told you." He said reaching for her hand. She pulled away to scared to hear what he was about to say.

"I don't…" She started but Tony stopped her.

"Wait a second." He said walking to a door, "Dad. She's here." He called and walked back over to her.

Gibbs walked in the room and sat down, "Cait." He said.

"Gibbs…I thought Tony's father was here?" she said confused.

"I am." Gibbs said and waited as he saw his newest agent process the news.

"You're….You're his father?" she said.

Gibbs nodded as Cait relaxed and he and Tony explained how they had come into each other's lives and how Anthony DiNozzo Senior fit in.

Three months after that initial meeting, Cait and Tony were married, not wanting to wait too long as Cait had found out she was expecting.

Gibbs had cleared a sabbatical from work for her, they had agreed not to let anyone other than Director Morrow know that they were married. He already knew Tony was Gibbs' son and he managed to keep that to himself and Gibbs, Tony and Cait had managed to give excellent reasons as to why the marriage of Cait and Tony should be a need to know affair. Not least of which was Tony's ability to keep himself and his new family safe what with the amount of undercover work he did, having it common knowledge that he now had a family would compromise their safety.

* * *

Tony had sat at work looking at the cold cases Director Morrow had them working on when the phone rang.

"Very Special Agent Anthony D. DiNozzo." He said with a flourish. "How may I help you."

"You can grab your bag and your dad and meet your wife at the hospital…" Cait said.

"What's wrong Cait?" Tony asked.

"I'm having a baby." Cait told him.

Tony blanked for a second. "I know that but what's wrong?"

Cait laughed, "I'm having your baby…..now!" she said and winced as a contraction shot through her. She smiled as she heard the phone hit the desk,

"Oh God! Cait….I'm sorry…. I'm coming….."She heard him pick up the bag and a grunt and crash as she realized he had tried to leave the desk taking his phone with him. "Gotta put phone down, don't worry I'm on my way." He said and she heard a dial tone. Smiling she lay back in her hospital bed.

Tony grabbed his bag and ran for the elevator and right into Gibbs spilling his coffee.

"What the hell!" he said looking at the coffee. "DiNozzo!"

"Now!" Tony said,

Gibbs grinned and an eyebrow shot up, "Now? Come on then, I'll drive."

They had gone in Gibbs' car as Tony rang Senior and informed him of the impending arrival of his first step-grandchild.

Eleven and a half hours later at 07.10am on the 7th of October weighing in at 7lb 10oz little Katie Elizabeth DiNozzo was born.

"Handy," Gibbs had said when they explained her name meant they could cover a slip up if they talked about her at work and he liked the irony of all her numbers matching up as well at least his son would never forget her birthday or weight or time of birth, the symmetry was nice. He smiled to himself looking down into the dark blue eyes of his newborn grandchild.

 


	8. Chapter 8

Tony and Cait entered their home carefully carrying little Katie. Who was asleep, in her car seat.

"Wow we're home," Tony said.

"I have to call Abby soon; she still thinks I'm on assignment. I will do it after I have put Katie down. So she cannot hear her. At least I can tell her I'll be home in three months." She said ruefully.

"Yeah," Tony agreed, "Having Tom cover for us and tell everyone you had been reassigned as an agent afloat was a stroke of genius though." Tony had to admit Director Morrow had been awesome in keeping their secret. This was why they both had no problems in naming him Godfather to Katie, which he had gratefully accepted whilst cooing over his new Godchild with Tony standing behind him. Earning a headslap from his father for the laugh, he was holding in at the Director of NCIS going gooey over a baby.

Cait looked at Tony and kissed him before taking their newborn daughter upstairs.

Tony picked up his phone and called Senior.

"Hey dad, it's me…Cait's had the baby….its a girl her names Katie Elizabeth DiNozzo." Tony paused and listened Anthony DiNozzo Senior slur on the other end. He sighed as he realized Senior had fallen off the wagon again.

"What do you mean you're sorry and better luck next time?" Tony's face clouded with rage, "I don't care that she's a girl!" He hissed deliberately keeping his voice down. "No! I. Would. Not. Have. Preferred. A .son." He bit out at his father, "What! How can you say that….you…..you son of a bitch. You know what, call me when you've sobered up." He slammed the phone down grabbed a piece of paper and wrote 'Gone to Dads' and walked out the front door.

* * *

Luckily living three doors down from his father he rounded the corner to Gibbs' house and stormed up the porch steps walked in and slammed the door.

He helped himself to coffee and walked down to the basement.

Gibbs having heard his son stomping around his home in a rage waited until he got to the bottom step.

"Well?"

"I've had it with him!" Tony sat on the bench swinging his long legs looking just like the teenager he had been when they first met.

"Go on." Gibbs said raising an eyebrow and putting the plane out of his sons reach. Occasionally Tony threw stuff in the basement when he was mad.

"I called him about Katie….he…." Tony screwed up his face and his fists, "He said he was sorry and better luck next time, If I had been a true DiNozzo I'd have had a son….He said….he said" Tony stopped.

"He said what?" Gibbs asked.

"He said I had a faulty Gibbs gene….Gibbs' only made girls and I should be careful as they die young," Tony broke into heart wrenching sobs.

Gibbs held Tony, "It's ok son, and Katie will be fine."

"Why did he do this to me again…he's drinking again dad." Tony told him.

"I'm sure eventually he'll come to his senses, I know he got divorced again recently that could have tipped him over the edge."

"Yeah….well…..I don't care, he's not coming within a mile of my child." Tony said his face as hard as stone.

Gibbs nodded, "Don't worry she has your Grandfather, me, Mike and the Director as well as you and Cait protecting her, she'll be fine." He said smiling, as he knew his son had calmed his very scary temper down.

"Crap… Cait! I just left her home alone with the baby!" He looked up hugged his dad and ran out of the house, home to his family. Leaving Gibbs laughing at the sight of his son running as he went up the steps to hold out the trainers Tony had automatically shucked off as he had entered and in his haste had forgotten to put back on as he had left. Tony walked back and picked them up. "Thanks dad." He smirked shame faced and replaced his sneakers and stalked home.

* * *

As Tony walked in the door Cait was closing her cell phone, she put it down and wrapped him in a hug. "It's ok Tony. Your father and my parents are just going to miss out on the wonderful human being that is our daughter and one day they will regret it." She said kissing him.

"Have you talked to them again?" He asked.

"They haven't talked to me since we got married, they are still convinced you are from a poor immigrant family and married me to stay in America and steal my money." Cait told him. "There is no way I'm going to even try to justify my father's bigotry just because of your last name, although there's another check to be put in the box."

"You should just send them back, let me write to him explain my ancestry, Hell I'll even send him a copy of the balance of my mother's trust account, maybe if he see's that we have over 15 million in the account he'll leave us alone."

"Anthony Demetrio DiNozzo. Don't you dare, my parents will either accept you for the kind, loving, wonderful person you are or they can just butt out." Cait said putting her hands on her hips and pouting a little. Tony smiled he really loved his wife.

Cait picked up the satellite phone Director Morrow had loaned her so she could pretend to be calling Abby from a ship and headed to the basement. Tony walked to his new daughter's room and watched her sleeping.

"I promise you this bambina, be we rich or poor you will always be showered with love." He smiled to himself as he made that vow. "Ooh and Daddy stinks a little too!" he said quietly dropping his arm from the doorframe and crept out to have a shower.

By the time Tony had finished Cait was feeding Katie, propped up by pillows on the bed.

He gently sat on the edge of the bed watching her feed their daughter basking in the love in the room.

Less than four years later, it was all over.

* * *

Tony sat on the edge of the same bed where Cait had fed their newborn daughter and he sobbed.

Katie was spending the week at Rachel's because there had been a threat to the team. Both he and Cait had decided the seeing as neither of them knew what Ari Haswari had on the team the packed a large bag for Katie and had sent her with kisses and promises of we'll be fine to Aunty Rachel's house in the country.

A now her mother was gone.

He had got out of the shower having washed the last of his wife's blood from his face and hair and had just sat and sobbed.

It had been light when he sat down and he was jolted out of his grief by a hand on his now cold shoulder.

"Cait?" He said hopefully for a second then realized it was not her….it would never be her again.

Gibbs picked up the comforter off the bed and wrapped it around his son to warm him up.

"Tony…Ari's gone. He's dead." He said simply.

"How? You?" he asked.

Gibbs shook his head; he had already decided to take the blame for the young Mossad woman who was currently crying in his basement after killing her own brother. However, Tony…he would not lie to him. He deserved better, "His handler Ziva…she shot him. He was her brother." He told him.

"Good." Tony said flatly.

"I know it won't bring her back." Gibbs said.

"I have to tell Katie her mothers dead." Tony stood up and started dressing. "Cait…." He called automatically as he could not find his socks and he stopped.

He sat back down and cried, "How did you do it dad, with Shannon and Kelly?" he asked.

"Its hard son, I didn't even begin to feel better until you came along, you gave me something to live for….Live for Katie, you have to she needs you." Gibbs told his son as Tony turned and clung to his father for dear life.

"Do you want to tell the others?" Gibbs asked, "They could help,"

"No, I don't want to destroy their memories of Cait, she deserves to be remembered exactly how she was." Tony said resolutely "I can't take that away from them"

Tony was jolted out of his reverie as a small voice piped up.

"Daddy. Why are you crying?"

 


	9. Chapter 9

Katie looked up from her hospital bed to see her daddy crying.

She was tired and she ached, but the thing that hurt most was to see him looking so sad.

"Daddy, why are you crying?" She asked he throat sore and scratchy.

Tony was jolted out of his reverie and looked down at his precious daughter.

"Katie are you ok?" He asked, looking into her eyes that were a mirror of his own.

Katie gave him a smile which was all Cait's "I'm tired daddy, but I'm ok when can I go home?" she asked.

"I'll get the doctor and find out," Tony kissed her forehead and stuck his head around the corner of the door. "She's awake." He said to the nurse who was passing can you get her doctor?" he asked.

She nodded and hurried off.

"Daddy?" Katie's' voice came again from inside the room. "Is Aunty Rachel here….is she ok?"

Tony sat with her, "You know you had an accident don't you?" he asked her carefully.

Katie nodded, "Yes Daddy, I remember the car rolling and my leg hurting and Rachel telling me I'd be ok."

Tony held her hand as his little one recalled the accident. "Daddy...Mommy was there she told me I'd be ok but I had to wake up because you and Aunty Rachel needed me." Katie smiled, "Mommy's very pretty."

"Yes Katie, yes she was," Tony smiled holding back his tears. "And she's right we do need you. Aunty Rachel was hurt, she hurt her back and now her legs don't work properly, so she can't live on her own. I have asked her to come and live with up, Papa and Grandpa Jack are going to help make the house ready for her, will you get better and help too?" he asked.

Katie broke into her huge smile, the one that Tony swore she had inherited from her mother. "Can I help paint her room?" If there was one thing his daughter loved, it was decorating and color.

"Sure, let the doctor check you out first." Tony said and looked up and grinned as the doctor walked in.

"Well Miss DiNozzo, it's nice to finally meet you." The doctor said smiling.

"Hello," Katie smiled.

"How is she Doc?" Tony asked concerned,

"Yeah when can I leave?" Katie asked,

Dr Pitt looked over at Tony and rolled his eyes, "Good grief DiNozzo, she's defiantly your kid!" He exclaimed he took a closer look at her…."Yours and Caitlin's?" His grin grew wider… "I knew it….I knew when Cait stayed with you and you had the plague that there was something going on between the two of you."

Tony just looked sheepish. "So, Brad….How's my Katie-bear?"

"Daddy!" Katie wailed and pulled a pillow over her head in embarrassment.

"She's going to be fine, her leg had healed nicely and the extra sedation helped with that, he looked at her chart….and you little missy should be able to go home as soon as your daddy has filled in the paperwork and you are dressed." He smiled. "Although no running about for a week or two ok?"

"Ok," Katie nodded.

Brad grinned at Tony, "I'll see you both outside with the paperwork," He told them.

* * *

Not less than five minutes later they were ready, Katie in a wheelchair and Tony signed the forms for her release.

He turned and pushed the wheelchair towards the group of people in the waiting room.

"Poppa D, Papa, Grandpa Jack!" Katie's excited voice called out.

All three men turned and lowered themselves to the child's eye level. "Katie! How are you feeling Kiddo?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm ok Papa; Daddy is going to take me to visit Aunty Rachel before we go home."

The other people in the waiting room looked at the little girl and Katie tugged on her dad's sleeve.

"Daddy…..is that her?" she asked pointing at Abby.

Abby looked at Tony for permission and then knelt down. "Hi, Katie."

Katie smiled and Abby's heart tugged in memory of her friend. "Hi Abby, mommy and daddy told me all about you. How you defeat bad guys in your super lab and how if I study hard when I'm at school I can be a supergothchick just like you!" she said.

Abby grinned, "Aww that's so sweet."

"Abby…..Did you and mommy really trick daddy out of money by getting mommy to wear a hat with flowers on it?" Katie asked.

Abby looked at Tony, "Anthony DiNozzo….What have you been telling her about me?" She joked.

Tony looked at Abby.

"Mommy told me when I was little." Katie said.

"Eidetic memory," Tony explained then he went on to introduce Tim, Ziva, Ducky and Jimmy.

Katie said hello to them all and then yawned. "Can we see Aunty Rachel before I have to go home?" she asked.

Tony maneuvered his daughter away from everyone with the promise of them all being able to meet her tomorrow at his home and took her into see Rachel.

* * *

"Aunty Rachel?" Katie's voice came as they rounded the corridor into her room.

"Hey pumpkin!" Rachel said and smiled as she saw her niece.

"Hey. Daddy told me you couldn't walk anymore. But he says you're coming to live with me and I can design your room." Katie grinned, "Can I use the computer program I wrote for it and come in and show you my ideas?"

"I will expect to see you once a week with that miss….and don't think my being in here means no more schoolwork, I want you to keep on top of your education too!"

Katie's face fell a bit. "OK, I will keep my projects going and Daddy can listen to my playing, we will tape my music practice for you to hear,"

"Good girl," Rachel said and looked up as the nurse came in.

"OK you guys have to leave now, I'm sure you can come and see Ms. Cranston another day." The nurse said brightly.

Katie stood shakily up and kissed Rachel, "Thank you for saving my life Aunty Rachel, See you soon." She said and waved as Tony turned her around to go.

He kissed her forehead, "See ya Rach, you know she's going to be working hard while your recuperating" He said.

"I should hope so, she's my best pupil."

Tony turned to push Katie out of the room, "Aunty Rachel….I'm your only pupil!" She shot back as they left laughing.

* * *

The next day, Tony got Katie up as he had applied for a leave of absence while she recuperated.

"Daddy, I can't find my laptop!" Katie cried from the bedroom.

"Try the living room….or did you leave it at Papa's again." He called back as he answered the door. "Hey guys….How come you're here?" He asked as Ziva, Tim and Abby stood at the door.

"We're on leave, Vance signed us all off for a week so we thought we would come see you and Katie." Tim said.

Tony laughed; he knew they would be over eventually.

Katie came stomping down the stairs. "Sanguinosa portatile stupido ... Non posso credere che ho lasciato al papa di nuovo!"

"Katie Elizabeth DiNozzo! You watch your language!" Tony admonished her.

"Fine!" Katie said in a strop. "Laptop sangeroase prost ... Nu pot sa cred ca am lasat la Papa lui din nou!"

"You know what I meant young lady," He tossed his cell phone to her, "Ask Papa if it's there then," he let the others in and they stood in his living room, awed by watching the father and daughter interact.

"Tony how many languages does she speak?" Ziva asked.

"I don't know I lost count," He admitted, "She's smart, and I'm not just saying that because I'm her parent, I lost count of her languages when she learnt twelve fluently. She's smarter than you Tim," Tony said with a grin.

* * *

"Must get her brains from her mother." Tim joked,

For a second a dark look crossed Tony's face, "Yeah she must." He said flatly as the back door opened and Gibbs walked in, "Calm down Kiddo. I've got it."

"Grazie!" Katie said and grabbed her laptop.

"Tony when does Katie go back to school?" Abby asked. She looked surprised as Katie gave her a weird look.

"Urgg! School!" Katie opened her laptop and went back to her lessons.

"She's home schooled, Rachel is her tutor." Tony explained.

"How come?" Tim asked.

"Probably coz' I'm studying for my degree in mathematics and English lit. This year and the local schools don't offer it." Katie said.

Tony ushered his workmates into his kitchen, "Coffee."

The others sat amazed watching Tony interact in his home with Gibbs as a flawless team. This was very different from the man who they thought they knew a few days ago.

"Your home is lovely Tony." Ziva said looking at the crème and purple walls and the black leather suite in the living room. On one wall was a list of rules. The wall was crème and the rules listed in purple print all of which where pointing to a positive loving environment.

Katie stretched out. "Papa?" she called and Gibbs came in.

"Yes Katie?" he answered her.

I'm going to my corner, did you see my copy of Proust with my laptop?" she asked.

"No honey, it's in the kitchen, you left it there with breakfast." Gibbs answered her.

Tony grinned, "Eidetic memory yet she forgets where she leaves her stuff."

* * *

"You said that before," Ziva said, "What's an eidetic memory?"

"It's someone who can recall or reproduce things previously seen accurately with amazing clarity and vividness." Tony told her as if reading it from a book.

"Just like you." Gibbs said walking into a room.

Tony jumped at his dad's approach, "Yeah dad, but she's still smarter than me."

"Not by much." Gibbs replied.

Tim shot Tony a look, "Really?" he said.

"Katie's I.Q is 187, mine is 172." Tony said.

"But that's really smart." Abby said amazed.

Tony sighed, "Yep." He walked out onto his back porch grabbing his coffee off the kitchen counter as he did so.

The others wanted to follow him but Gibbs looked at them as he followed his son and they sat back down, looking around the room at the signs of Caitlin dotted all over the place, her photo a picture. One of her favorite books, and her six year old super smart daughter curled up in a purple hanging fluffy type chair hanging by a heavy silver chain from the ceiling in the corner with her nose immersed in Swan Song by Proust.

 


	10. Chapter 10

Tony stood on his back porch leaning against the railing, coffee cup in hand looking over his back garden.

"Those bushes will need pruning soon Cait." He said to himself, he often found himself talking to Cait in his garden when he was upset. Katie was used to her father having running commentaries with his late wife about some of the things she got up to and used to just, roll her eyes at him. He himself would imagine her standing there looking over the yard with him, or sitting in the rocking chair that Gibbs had given them as a wedding present looking through seed catalogues planning the garden, making sure non of the plants were poisonous to children.

His image of Cait looked up from her Catalogue and smiled at him, "Don't worry about them, they just see what you let them, it shows how good an undercover operative you are."

He smiled sadly.

Gibbs walked out behind him and leant next to him.

"Hey son, you know you shouldn't worry about them, they just see what you let them. Just makes ya good at your job."

Tony smiled, "That's what Cait said."

Gibbs smiled back, "She's smart that wife of yours."

"Dad, do you talk to mom….or Shannon still?"

"Not your mom, I really didn't know too much about her, but Shannon…yeah all the time, I bet A.D. talks to your mom from time to time though." Gibbs said encouragingly.

"It just sucks dad, I would have thought that they would have made the effort to get to know me, I mean they know what qualifications you need to be a federal agent, do they really think a phys Ed degree would cut it…I would have dug deeper. Hell I did, I have gotten to know all about Ziva, what she likes what she doesn't. Tim, I spent time with him, helped him to be better, and yet not once did they even try."

Gibbs looked at the pain behind his son's eyes. He had seen the team starting to pull away from him and it hurt; at that point, they still hadn't made the connection between them both. But he had hoped when Ziva invited them all for that meal that they were trying, he had been mad when he had arrived to find she hadn't invited Tony and had made some excuse and left.

"Tony you need to come inside now." Gibbs said.

Tony shook his head the last place he wanted to be was inside.

"Now!" Gibbs barked and Tony jumped.

"Ok ok," He said begrudgingly but followed anyway.

* * *

Ziva, Abby and Tim looked up from where they were sitting on the sofa.

Tony turned to Katie, "Ehi bambina, ti dispiacerebbe andare piano di sopra mentre il nonno e parlo con gli altri per favore."

"Si, Papa." She replied and gathered her things.

"Grazie," Tony said and kissed her head as she walked out.

Abby looked confused.

"We need to talk." Tony said flatly.

"Shouldn't we include Katie too?" Abby did not want the little girl to feel left out.

"No, she may be smart but she is still only six, I let her study because she loves learning, there are some things however I don't want my little girl learning about."

"Like?" Ziva asked.

"Like how you all treat Tony at work, how it hurts him and how you should all know better." Gibbs said.

"It was not meant badly Gibbs, Tony was, we thought a joker." Ziva tried to explain.

"Ok Ziva so when you had that dinner party and invited everyone and not Tony, how would he have found that funny?"

"I…It wasn't like that, he had been driving us crazy, going on about movie quotes and playing practical jokes." Ziva said.

"Do you remember what week that was?" Gibbs asked them.

"No?" Tim replied.

Tony looked at the floor his face extremely sad, "It was the anniversary of Cait's death, she had always said, if anything happened to her, you weren't to get sad. I was fulfilling her last wishes." He all but whispered. "And it worked not one of you spent that day sad, but you all hated me for it."

"NO!" Abby said her hands flew to her mouth in horror.

Tony looked up at them his face a mask, emotionless, "That's how you all think of me a Frat boy, and did you even want me back after Vance sent me away?"

"Yes!" They all said.

"Tony, you saw all the post it notes in my lab." Abby said thinking that would explain everything.

"I missed you all, Katie the most, but not one of you tried to find out where I lived, or asked if I had anyone who would miss me or need your support while I was away. Dad promised to tell anyone who asked and not one of you did."

* * *

"Tell us about you then?" Ziva said,

Tony sat back in his armchair, "Ok what do you want to know."

"How smart are you?" Abby asked.

"I have an IQ of 172, I have five nearly six degrees, I speak nine languages seven of those fluently. I have two dads and my mom died when I was eight, I was married and have a six year old daughter," He said, watching the surprise flood across their faces.

"Seven degrees?" Tim said stunned.

"Nearly eight, I am studying history with Katie, a father / daughter project." He admitted with a slight smile, "She gets better grades than me,"

"Nine languages, what ones?" Ziva asked.

"Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Latin, Arabic, German and Hebrew." He said with a smirk as Ziva suddenly realized that every time she had talked about him in Hebrew to her friends he had understood every word.

"Also, just for your information Katie gets her eidetic memory from me, not Cait." Tony said quietly.

"You have an eidetic memory?" Tim said surprised.

Tony sighed he had hoped after a few questions they would just let it go. "Yes Tim…Or do you think those movie quotes are kept on cards in my desk and I have a copy of all my dad's rules."

"Well…" Tim trailed off, as that was exactly what he had thought.

* * *

"I know how I look, the frat boy thing was Cait's idea, I was never like that, when you joined the team Tim, she didn't want you to know we were married. The whole idea was to keep our private life separate, for Katie's sake. We did not want to put her in danger and after dad went to Mexico, I wanted to tell you; especially as you all kept saying I was not Gibbs. But I thought the way you weren't following my orders as team leader that you didn't trust me…and no offence but while you didn't trust me I sure as hell wasn't gonna trust you with my little girl, I'm still not sure I do." Tony said looking them in the eye daring them to object.

One by one, they dropped their eyes and nodded their heads. He was right and they knew it.

Gibbs moved behind Tony and rested a hand supportively on his shoulder.

Tony smiled, "Now I've got that off my chest…if you want…maybe we can start again?" He asked.

Abby was the first to look up and grin, "Please?" She said. Tony nodded and held out his arms and she hugged him.

"Hi, My names Tony DiNozzo, pleased to meet you." He grinned and the others got up.

"I'm sorry Tony," Tim said genuinely contrite.

Tony smiled "I would like you all to get to know Katie properly, I have a project we are about to start, we are going to build an extension on the house Rachel, Cait's sister will be coming to live with us as soon as she is able to, I need to make it disabled accessible here for her."

Abby lit up as Tony knew she would, "I have the tools I use for habitat for humanity I can help," She said happy to be able to do something to help them.

"I want to put in Smart house controls, which control the lights and sockets by voice activation, to make things easier for her." Tony said, although he knew he could do this himself he hoped Tim would rise to the challenge.

"I can help with that, I could wire your house up too, but it'll be really expensive, can you afford this Tony?" Tim asked concerned.

Tony laughed, "That's not a problem."

"What can I do to help, Tony?" Ziva asked.

Tony looked at her, he really didn't know and then a bright Idea hit him, "If Katie agrees, while Rachel is in the hospital, would you teach Katie Hebrew, I wanted to but I didn't get around to it, I can keep up with her piano and her degree subjects, but I do need to sleep at some point. Also you can teach her about the culture in Israel, she's been really interested in Israel for years." He said, he didn't tell her it was because Katie had wanted to learn why a man could grow up with such hatred to his Country that he would murder her mother just to make a point. "Teach her all the nice stuff about it."

"I would love too," Ziva smiled.

Gibbs took another drink from his coffee and smiled, it looked like slowly the team was coming back together.

 


	11. Chapter 11

Tony got up early and Katie was still sleeping as Gibbs turned up with the plans for the extension. The architect had signed off on the plans a month ago, builders had been hired who would allow Tim and Abby's involvement in the project and work was proceeding at a nice pace.

Tony's leave of absence was up in another two months and Katie was enjoying every moment of extra time she could get with her father.

The framework to the extension was already completed and although it was a Saturday and early Tim was coming over to fit the house for the smart system he had devised.

Abby walked in the house carrying a flask of Caf-Pow and a box of pastries. "Good morning Gibbs'" she said smiling.

"Morning Abbs." Tony yawned grabbing his dad's coffee and taking a sip, making a face and heading to the coffee machine to pour a decent cup of coffee.

"Morning Abby. All prepared I see." Gibbs smiled at her.

"Yes and It's a beautiful day outside," She looked around, "Where's Katie?" She asked.

"Late night astronomy, we may not see her for a few hours." Tony admitted.

"Oh! Did she get a good view of the meteors last night?" Abby asked. "It was too bright at my place even up on the roof."

Tony looked at her in surprise, "Abbs, you should have said, Katie has her own telescope and it gets dark enough here that she can see them, if you want to go stargazing with her at anytime be my guest." He said tired from having to stay up until 2am, when suffering from sleep deprivation he had called a halt, to the nights stargazing.

However, hearing the movement downstairs a sleepy Katie still in her nightgown and holding her bear came walking into the kitchen, "Daddy I'm hungry." She said.

The sight of the child looking like any other six year old made Abby do a double take. "I forget she's a little girl, I keep thinking she's older."

"She may be smart Abbs, but she's still only six and still, my baby girl." Tony said opening a packet of lucky charms and putting them in a bowl for her with a glass of orange juice. "There you go Katie-bear."

Katie sniffed "Thank you daddy." She said she ate her food half-heartedly. Tony walked behind her and placed the back of his hand on her forehead.

"Ummm" He said thoughtfully. He went to the medicine cabinet and pulled out a bottle of children's Tylenol. He walked over to her and poured a spoonful, "Open up." He said softly.

Katie opened her mouth took the spoonful and leant into a hug, "I don't feel well." She groaned.

"Toothache again?" Tony asked.

She nodded she had a loose front tooth and some back molars were coming in for the first time.

"No schoolwork today, I'll make you a bed on the sofa and you can watch cartoons ok."

"Later daddy, I wanted to practice my Hebrew with Ziva." Katie groaned.

"Not today, you can spend some time with her if you want, and she can tell you about Israel." Tony said making sure to remember to tell Ziva nothing to heavy today.

* * *

Tony walked into his living room; made his daughter a bed on the couch, kissed her again, and walked into the kitchen to see Abby staring at him.

"What!" Tony exclaimed as he looked at the grin on Abby's face.

"I'm sorry Tony, I like this side of you and I wish I had gotten to see it sooner." She told him.

Tony grinned shyly, "Thanks Abbs."

"She ok?" Gibbs asked concerned.

"Yeah, she wants her Papa to read to her though." Tony said, Gibbs looked around and sure enough, Katie's current book was on the kitchen table.

"Chaucer?" Gibbs groaned.

"Yep." Tony said with a slight smirk. "She's sick not dead!"

"Why oh why wont she read Dr. Seuss." He groaned as he picked up the book.

"She memorized those at 18 months." Tony laughed as he walked out.

Abby turned at the comment and looked Tony in the eye "Really?" she said.

"Na….she was about 20 months when she memorized them she was reading them at 18 months that's when we knew she was smart." Tony told her thinking back to the day he found that out.

* * *

Cait had picked Katie up from Rachel's apartment and just had her home with some new library books she wanted to read to her.

"See Katie, this is a Dr. Seuss book, what do we have…..Erm…Green eggs and Ham and the Cat in the Hat." She said reading the titles.

She put Katie down as her phone rang; Tony was in the stairwell at work and had rung to see how they were.

Cait talked to him telling him what Rachel had told her about Katie's day when Katie started talking in the background.

At first Cait thought, she was just doing baby talk and carried on talking to Tony.

All of a sudden, Cait stopped talking. "Oh My God!" she breathed.

Tony instantly panicked. "Cait…? Is everything ok?" he asked reaching in his pocket for his car keys.

"Listen to this…" Cait said and held the phone up behind Katie's head where she could not see.

"I do not like green…eg...Eggs and ham I do not like them SAM I AM!" Katie giggled.

Tony smiled listening to his little girl.

"Aww did you teach her that?" he asked.

"No Tony….She's reading!" Cait exclaimed.

"Come on Cait, she's 18 months old!" Tony scoffed. He knew she was bright….but no way!

"Get your dad…you both have to see this!"

Tony walked into the bullpen, "Boss we have to go a slight situation with Cait." He said.

Gibbs looked concerned "Everything ok DiNozzo?"

"Erm…" Tony looked to see if anyone could hear him. "Apparently Cait caught Katie reading."

"Ok we have no active cases right now so we can knock off early." Gibbs said and they went home.

Tony was home first and in the door to find his wife sitting next to their daughter on the sofa.

"I read again mommy!" Katie clapped excitedly.

Cait smiled, "Hold on honey." She turned to Tony, "Is Gibbs coming."

"Yep!" Gibbs said walking in behind Tony.

"PAPA!" Katie shouted.

"Hey munchkin, so what did you learn to do today?" He asked smiling.

Katie opened her book and slowly read Green Eggs and Ham to her father and grandfather much to their delight and horror.

Tony was as proud as punch at his daughter's new skill then he had a thought.

"Dad what am I going to do bout her schooling, she's going to be in high school while all her friends are still in kindergarten!" he said horrified.

"What about home Schooling her?" Gibbs asked, he remembered it as an option as he had thought about homeschooling both Kelly and Tony at different points in their lives.

"But Gibbs we both work, we can't!" Cait exclaimed.

"What about Rachel?" Gibbs suggested.

For two days they discussed it and then they called Rachel and talked about it some more. In between cases, all three of them were looking up information on the pros and cons of Home Schooling…..in the end it had to happen. All four adults realized this needed to happen for Katie to get all she needed out of education.

"Fine, but we have to all remember she is a child and she gets to be a little girl before she is anything else." Tony insisted.

The others agreed and two weeks later, a five-year flexi plan was drawn up and Katie's education was planned taking advantage of every chance to stimulate their little girl.

* * *

"Tony…Tony!" Abby punched him in the arm.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Tony grumbled.

"You zoned out on me….Tim's here to wire up the house and the extension." She told him as Tim walked into the room.

"Hey Tony, we gonna get this done?" Tim asked smiling.

"Yep…Rachel comes out in two weeks it's this, decorations and furniture and then we are good to go," Tony told them and they got to work.

 


	12. Chapter 12

Gibbs and Katie walked back in the house as Tony walked back into the kitchen from one of Rachel's new rooms. He was pleased with the way they had turned out. Katie had designed Rachel's bedroom in a sage green with natural earth tones to compliment the room and a royal blue and white ensuite adapted bathroom.

"Daddy!" Katie called as she slung her bag onto the sofa.

"In here honey!" He called back to her.

She came running in and launched herself at her father's legs, "That's from Auntie Rachel; she's pleased with my work and says she can't wait to come home next week."

Gibbs sat down heavily next to Tony, "You took her to the park didn't you." Tony grinned. Gibbs nodded and smiled back.

"Yep, are you ready for Rachel coming home?" Gibbs asked him.

"Yeah, her personal assistant starts tomorrow, I'm going to get her up to speed on her duties and let her learn where everything is in the house for her." Tony told his dad.

"Well that's done, Tony, your house smart system is all installed." Tim said coming in from a back room.

Tony walked into the living room and sat down on the sofa as Tim sat beside him and showed him how the system worked. "This is great Tim!" Tony said enthusiastically.

"So I hear the new P.A. starts tomorrow, what's she like?" Tim asked.

Tony grinned, "You'd like her, but I could honestly see you two fighting like brother and sister." He said cryptically.

Tim looked at Tony quizzically, however his next question was circumvented by Abby coming in. "Are you ready Tim…And is Katie ready?" she asked smiling.

"NEARLY!" Katie's voice called from upstairs. She came downstairs carrying her backpack over her shoulders and her teddy bear in her arms. She climbed onto her dad's lap and kissed his cheek. "I'll be good for Abby and Tim I promise," She said.

Tony smiled at her, "I know you will now you promise no studying and nothing educational, this weekend with Abby is all about being a kid and having fun."

"But daaaaaad!" She moaned and rolled her eyes, "Education is fun!" she insisted.

"Yeah Dad!" Abby joined in, "We're going to the aquarium, that's educational and fun." She laughed.

"Alright, but as long as you have fun." Tony smiled. He loved his daughter learning but needed to remind her occasionally how to be a kid.

* * *

The next morning the house was quiet and Tony sat enjoying a rare leisurely breakfast.

The doorbell rang and he walked to the door. "Sarah!" He smiled as Tim's sister stood at the door.

"Hey Tony, thanks for this job, it's going to be great having it fit around my studies."

"Come on in, I'm so glad you took the job, it's nice to have someone I trust around my girls." Tony said.

Sarah looked around, "Yeah Tim mentioned you have a daughter, is she here?"

"Nope Katie's spending the weekend with Tim and Abby, She's sleeping at Abby's and all three are spending the day together." He told her as they walked through to Rachel's apartment.

"Wow!" Sarah said as she looked at the rooms, "She has a kitchen, living room, a bedroom and ensuite and a sauna and hot tub/Jacuzzi for water therapy and we have the new pool out the back, all adapted for you to use with Rachel. She has complete autonomy and will tell you how she likes things done," He stopped and opened a large walking cupboard. "This is for her medical supplies, there is a delivery every week on a Tuesday and the sharps bin is kept in here. This cupboard must stay locked and Katie is not allowed near it." He told her. He showed her round the kitchen where she would be preparing the meals and showed her the smart house system that Tim had installed. "Also, when you use something the fridge is computerized to you can type on this panel what you've used and once a week the house will send a shopping list to the local supermarket and then they deliver. They have all the card details on file so all you have to do is type in what you need. "Katie is to be kept away from this too or we'll have peanut butter and candy everywhere." He said with a grin. "So you still want the job?" he asked.

Sarah sat down. This seemed just too perfect.

"OK, yeah, and the pay?"

"You'll get 15 dollars an hour plus if I need you to help with Katie sitting, that's another ten." He said.

Sarah smiled, "That sounds great but if you need to pull an all-nighter? I know what Gibbs' is like remember."

"Not a problem, Dad tends to send me home about six. Or he comes himself for her."

"Dad?" Sarah asked confused, Tony made her a coffee, and he told her all about it.

Sarah and Tony stayed talking for hours, he found her easy to get along with and as he realized it was three am, he let her sleep in the guest room, which he had told her was for her use if neither he nor Gibbs could get back for Katie.

* * *

Tim arrived at six am the next morning with a sleepy Katie, he had a writer's seminar to attend and promised to drop her off first so he carried her up to her room and placed her in her bed, and quietly he turned around to go back downstairs when Sarah walked out of the bathroom in a towel.

"Sarah!" he said surprised,

"Tim!" she squeaked.

"What the HELL!" He hissed not wanting to wake Katie up.

Tony walked out of his room in sleep shorts his hair all mussed up, "What's going on?" He asked.

Tim whirled and punched him in the nose, "I have your daughter so you can sleep with my sister?" He hissed.

"Downstairs." Tony growled and went to throw some clothes on texting Gibbs on the way.

 


	13. Chapter 13

Tim sat on the sofa his face like thunder as Gibbs came in.

"What the hell is going on? Is Katie ok?" he asked.

"She's fine boss." Tim clipped out.

Sarah came downstairs glaring at Tim, this time she was fully dressed except for a towel wrapped around her head she took it off and sat in a chair as far from Tim as she could get.

"Tony?" Gibbs asked as his son came downstairs dressed in jeans and a t-shirt,

"Dad, you wanna hold this?" He handed his gun to Gibbs.

"Ok? What the hell is going on?" Gibbs was worried two of his agents were glaring at each other and he had not seen his son this mad since Katie was born and he had wanted to kill A.D.

"Nothin' I just need to 'talk' to Tim…." He asked with a pointed glare.

"Nothing!" Tim exclaimed, "You sleep with my sister and it's nothing!"

"Tim you're an Ass!" Sarah snapped.

Tony turned to Sarah, "You go and make yourself some breakfast and can you put a pot of coffee on, you do remember where it is right?" Tony asked his face softening at her.

Sarah smiled back, "Sure Tony." She gave Gibbs a look and he followed her to the kitchen.

* * *

"I want an apology." Tony said and sat facing Tim.

"NO!" Tim snapped back.

"Sarah's a big girl Tim, she doesn't need you to fight her battles for her, and I thought you knew me better now and trusted me." Tony said.

"Oh I do trust you with everything but my sister."

"Fine!" Tony walked into the kitchen and Sarah whispered in his ear.

A smile lit up his face "Really!" and she giggled as Tim glared at them.

"You know it'll serve him right." Sarah whispered.

Gibbs looked at the pair of them.

"OUTSIDE!" He said to Tony.

Tony winked at Sarah as Tim glared at them and followed Gibbs out into the garden.

* * *

Tony leant against the porch railing and sipped his coffee.

"What's going on?" Gibbs asked calmer than before.

Tony sighed. "Sarah's going to be Rachel's primary carer she came round yesterday for an interview and I gave her the job, she just found out about you being my dad, so we talked. She got tired so she spent the night in the spare room. Tim dropped Katie off this morning, saw Sarah leaving the bathroom, put two and two together, and got twelve."

"And…" Gibbs prompted.

"I thought we had been over this dad, Tim knows the frat boy thing was an act. I can't…..I would never… Cait means too much to me. It's still too soon to think of me even falling in love with anyone but her." Tony looked stricken, "Tim said he understood, but this morning he just hit me without even waiting for an explanation."

"Ah that explains the black eye." Gibbs said.

"Dad, Sarah and I are going to give Tim a taste of his own medicine,"

Gibbs grinned, "Sure, but don't leave the poor boy hanging too long ok?" He asked.

Tony smiled, "Come on, I haven't played a prank in how long."

Gibbs grinned at his son; there it was; the fun loving teenager he had not seen in years. It warmed his heart to see him smiling.

* * *

Tony walked in and sat in the living room as Sarah came in, sat on the arm of the chair and leaned against him.

Tim practically went purple as he gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead.

"You two cannot be serious!" He exclaimed.

"Why?" Sarah asked. "Tony's a nice guy, treats a woman like she should be treated….or is it I'm not good enough for him?" she pushed.

"He's…he's…..TONY! He's too old!" Tim spluttered.

Tony smirked as Sarah tucked herself under his arm, "its ok Tim, Tony's paying me to be here." She said her eyes dancing with laughter.

"You're…...WHAT!" Tim stood up his hands balled into fists and his mouth gaping like a goldfish.

Gibbs in the kitchen had to fight too not laugh out loud.

"You're paying my sister like a whore!" Tim growled.

"Hey she's not cheap." Tony quipped.

"Yeah but you pay well." Sarah countered back sexily batting her eyelashes.

Tony looked at Sarah; it was time.

"No Tim, I'm paying Sarah like she is Rachel's personal assistant, slash Care worker." He said his face neutral. "And I suggest you blow off your conference and spend the day apologizing to her….and when you finally get your head out of your ass you can apologize to me." Tony stood up. "Oh and Tim, for your information, as wonderful a person as your sister is…" He looked over to Sarah who nodded, "No one EVER will hold a candle to my Cait. I will never love anyone but her, and you just insulted her memory by insinuating it would."

Tim stood there feeling like a complete heel; as Gibbs came in.

"McGee!" Gibbs said. Both the siblings looked up. "Senior." Gibbs clarified and Sarah smirking walked away.

"Y...Yes boss?" Tim replied

"Rule number 8?" He snapped.

Tim sighed, "Never assume boss…I know, but she's my sister."

"And he's my son, and he's your Senior Agent. You need to learn to trust him. He needs to know you trust him. Or the team will suffer." Gibbs glared at him.

"Yes Boss." Tim said abashed.

Sarah came back in put on her shoes and grabbed her purse. "YOU…" she ordered pointing at her brother, "Can buy me breakfast."

Tim nodded, "I'm sorry Sarah, it's the least I can do."

Sarah let a slow grin cross her face, it looked so calculating that even Gibbs shuddered, "It's the VERY least you're going to do."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow and looked at Tim, "Say goodbye to your wallet, Diane looked at me like that before she took me and Tobias to the cleaners." He grinned at the shock on Tim's face and watched as the siblings left.

Tony walked in and handed his dad a second cup of coffee.

"You still ok to watch Katie while I pick up Rachel?" Tony asked.

Gibbs nodded, grabbed a woodwork magazine and settled down on the sofa.

 


	14. Chapter 14

Walking into Rachel's room Tony stopped, leant against the door and laughed.

Rachel sat in her wheelchair clipboard in hand organizing everything for her move and looked very serene while everything around her looked like a hurricane had whirled through.

"Tony DiNozzo, don't think your just giving me a lift, I have a list for you as well!" she said with a smirk "So stop laughing and hop to it Mr.!"

"Ma'am…Yes Ma'am!" He said with a salute and walked in.

"OK so the removal men will be taking all of my stuff except this…" She said pointing to a small pile. "That's coming with us."

Tony grabbed the first box, "I'll load up the van."

"Van? I thought you had a car?" she said confused.

"I do….you milady have a Van, its wheelchair accessible and your PA will be driving Milady wherever she wants to go as of tomorrow. Tim's sucking up to her today." He said with a slight smirk that looked just like his fathers.

Rachel looked shocked "You got me a van?"

"Well, that and a few home improvements it's not much really, oh you should know Katie helped with the decor and the van." Tony said.

Rachel looked at him cockeyed and turned her chair to face him straight on. "Spit it out Mr. What's she done!"

Tony just smiled and walked behind her and gave her a push.

"Come on, your stuff will meet us there." He said and they headed to the van.

* * *

Having said her goodbye's to the staff they headed to the hospital parking lot. She scanned the cars and her jaw dropped. "OH…My…God…NO!" she said smiling but mortified, "Oh God Tony….Tell me 'THAT'S' Not the van!" she exclaimed.

Tony turned and flashed a million watt smile.

"It's a van….she loves Scooby Doo and decided you needed it customized."

Laughing Rachel shook her head in mock horror as Tony pushed her to the doors of her very own Mystery Machine.

The van was designed to look exactly like the Mystery Machine on the outside, there were tinted windows in the back and the doors slid open to reveal the hydraulic lift system. This smoothly came down and lifted Rachel wheelchair and all into the van.

Rachel looked in awe as she realized there was a state of the art music system that she could control from a touch-pad inside the car next to her seat. "Tony?" she asked pointing to it.

"It's the music system, owner picks the music, and driver shut's their cake-hole " Tony said changing a quote from Rachel's favorite TV show. "Besides you should see what she did to your room!"

Rachel held her breath; she realized she was not going back to her flat but to a new life and a new home with Tony and Katie.

"Shall we go then?" She said with more bravado than she felt.

"Your wish is my command." Tony smiled.

Rachel wondered if he had been reading princess stories to Katie again and smiled as they finally left the hospital and headed for home.

* * *

A sleepy Katie ran down the stairs and jumped onto her Papa's lap.

"Papa…is she here yet?" she asked jumping up and down with excitement. As smart as she was, Katie was still a six year old at heart.

Gibbs grinned. "Not yet Daddy's gone to get her."

"Great!" Katie smiled going to get her present she and Abby had made last night.

Gibbs' phone rang, "Gibbs." He said gruffly.

"Is she home yet? Can I come over?" Abby called down the phone. Gibbs could hear the Caf-Pow fueled scientist almost bouncing with excitement.

"Not yet, Tony has asked if you will come over tomorrow to see her, she wants Rachel to get settled in today."

"But Timmy gets to see her." Abby said. Gibbs could almost see the pout.

"Tim is bringing Sarah, she's Rachel's new Personal Assistant. She'll be here to settle Rachel in and then she starts tomorrow."

"Okay Gibbs, give her a welcome home hug from me and I'll see you all tomorrow." Abby said conceding defeat.

Katie walked in with her picture as Gibbs hung up the phone.

"Pancakes?" he asked knowing she had not had breakfast.

"Can we make chocolate chip one's for Rachel and Daddy?" she asked smiling.

"Sure." Gibbs grinned and he and his granddaughter went to work in the kitchen.

* * *

Half and hour later Tony and Rachel came up the ramp to the house and Tony opened the door to a sight he thought he would never see.

His father and his daughter covered from head to foot in flour proudly holding a stack of chocolate chip pancakes.

"Daddy, Auntie Rachel, we made you pancakes!" Katie smiled.

"What happened?" Tony asked barely concealing a grin.

"Papa sneezed."

Tony looked at Gibbs and raised an eyebrow.

"What!" Gibbs feigned innocence.

Rachel laughed aloud, "I was worried that you would all be timid around me, thank you for making my welcome home so…..interesting."

Katie ran over to her Auntie and hugged her. "Welcome back Auntie Rachel."

"I missed you Katie-bear. Thank you for my van, it's wonderful." Rachel said

"Wait Auntie Rachel, after pancakes you can come and see your room, we made the whole house easy for you." Katie said earnestly.

Rachel looked at her family with love and they all went off to eat.

* * *

After breakfast, Sarah and Tim arrived as Katie showed Rachel around her new home.

"Hi, I'm Sarah." She said as she walked up to Rachel. "I know you should have picked your own PA and I'm on a trial period but I really hope we get along." She said smiling.

Rachel grinned instantly liking this young woman. "You're Tim's sister….right?" she asked.

"Yes." Sarah smiled and relaxed.

"Come on then let's check out my room and I need to get changed….I smell like hospital." Rachel smiled she turned to Katie, "Katie-bear, give me an hour and then you can come and see me ok?" she said noting the fact that Katie had stuck to her like glue since she had arrived home.

"Er…Ok." Katie said and held onto Tony's hand.

Tony shot Gibbs a look as Rachel and Sarah left.

"Katie, Come with me." Tony said and took her to her favorite corner in the living room. "OK Squirt spill what's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm scared." Katie whispered in a voice he had not heard from his daughter since her mother died.

"Tell me baby?" Tony asked instantly concerned.

"What if something happens to Auntie Rachel again if we go out in a car? What if she gets hurt? I couldn't help her last time; it was my fault she got hurt." Katie said tears and fears she had been holding in for months spilled out.

Tony wrapped his daughter in a hug. "You know for a bright kid you are daft sometimes." He said and Katie looked at him with a hurt expression.

"Daddy!" she wailed.

"I mean what happened to Rachel and you was not your fault. It was a combination of the bad weather and bad luck."

"But I was talking to Rachel as the car hit the ice, she would have seen it if it wasn't for me," Katie said looking at the floor.

"Katie Elizabeth DiNozzo, Who gave you that Idea." Tony asked looking his daughter in the eye.

"Papa….." Katie started to say and stopped as Tony jumped up.

"DAD!" He called storming off to where Gibbs was in the kitchen.

"No! Daddy!" Katie called following behind. "It was Papa Todd."

Tony skidded to a halt in front of his father and turned around.

"He was wrong…He was wrong about so many things, you Katie Elizabeth are a wonderful child and your Auntie Rachel loves you so much she wanted to come and live with us and I love you and Papa loves you and Momma will always love you." He sunk to his knees and wrapped his arms around her again. "None of this is your fault." He whispered into her hair as she sobbed on his shoulder.

* * *

After she cried herself to sleep, he placed her on the sofa and went to Gibbs in the kitchen.

"I need to get her some help for this, and I need to go see the Todd's." Tony said.

"Take a few days, help Katie get Rachel settled and then we will go and pay Cait's parents a little visit. That way you won't be mad and say something you might regret."

Tony sighed and helped himself to a coffee. "Ya know dad, I don't mind when they say stuff about me, I never have but Katie's their grandchild, I hate it when they do things like this, they don't even realize the damage their words do. I've told them before that Katie still understands, that she's not like other six year olds and that their words hurting her are as damaging as if they'd hit her. And I won't have it!" He sat and took a drink of his coffee and looked at him, "I try dad I really do, and they just don't seem to see past me in her. They need to realize that Cait, part of her spirit is in Katie, it is what makes her special. Cait loved our daughter more than life, why can't they see how precious she is?" he asked tired and defeated.

"I don't know son," Gibbs said. "I have to go into work, but I will pop by tomorrow unless you need anything, spend the day with your family Tony. Help Rachel settle in."

Tony nodded and stared into his coffee as Gibbs left the house.

Gibbs got in his car and called Vance.

"I'm not coming in today I have a small family emergency. Everything's ok it's just something I have to do." He closed his phone and turned his car in the direction of the Todd's family home.

 


	15. Chapter 15

Gibbs pulled up in front of Sam and Ruth Todd's home. All the way there all he had thought about was ripping Sam's head from his shoulders he sat and took a deep breath as he heard Cait's voice in his head.

'Yeah that'd be a smart move Gibbs, you'd be in Jail and my parents could get their hands on my daughter!' he heard her say.

He imagined her standing by the car with her hands on her hips staring at him in the same way she used to stare at Tony when his pranking at work got too out of hand.

Taking a deep breath, he calmed down.

He got out of the car and walked to the front door.

Ringing the doorbell he heard movement inside and waited as Sam opened the door. The smile on his face falling instantly, as he found out who was on the other side.

"Gibbs." He said curtly.

"Sam…we need to talk…about Katie." He said.

"Is she alright?" Ruth asked coming to the door and moving her husband out of the way so Gibbs could enter.

"No. she's not physically hurt, but some emotional issues have come up you need to be aware about." Gibbs sat in the seat Ruth offered him.

"Figured she would have some issues, seeing as the Italian is raising her." Sam snapped.

Gibbs clenched his fist and bit his tongue. Mentally seeing Cait standing wagging her finger, 'don't do it Gibbs.' She said to him.

"Tony is not Italian…and it wouldn't matter if he was. Her issues stem from something you've done and I thought you ought to know before Tony cuts off all your access rights to Katie."

"But he just let us start seeing her," Ruth looked totally distraught.

"Sam…apparently you have some issues blaming Katie for Rachel's accident."

* * *

Sam stood and glared at Gibbs.

"I don't want to fight with you for Katie's sake, but I am going to talk to Tony and if….and I do mean if you want to continue seeing Katie it will be supervised by either me or a member of my team. There will be no more bad mouthing of my son to his daughter or telling her anything to do with the accident was her fault, she is a six year old child who is totally blameless in this situation. You are a link to her mother's side of the family and Tony wants you to be in her life." Gibbs said.

"So we can support him I suppose." Sam grouched.

Gibbs stood up, "Sam Todd, Whenever has Tony asked you for anything? Never... you know why?" Gibbs waited to Sam to back down.

"Because he had you to help him." Sam sneered.

"No. Tony has his own money from his Mother, I don't know why you have such a low opinion of my son, but if you ever want to have a decent relationship with your granddaughter I suggest you get over it."

"He got my daughter pregnant, before she was married!" Sam grumbled.

"Yes he did, but he did marry your daughter and they loved each other and you missed out on the last years of her life because of your attitude and you've missed out on the life of a very special young lady, and my son is gracious enough to give you a second chance, I suggest you take it." Gibbs sat back and watched Sam try desperately to hold onto his prejudices.

"I heard he was a frat playboy, that no one at NCIS knows how he manages to keep his job, I assume it's either because he's your son or because he brought his way onto the team." Sam snapped.

Gibbs stood up and sighed. "That was a persona that Tony and Cait worked up so that no one knew they were married, the idea behind that was that as Tony did a lot of undercover work he didn't want Cait or Katie being hurt due to his work, He was protecting them."

Sam sat down and Gibbs relaxed.

"You know," Sam said with a slight smile, "Cait always described you as a functional mute."

Gibbs smiled back, "That doesn't count when I'm protecting my family."

"Can I get you a coffee?" Sam offered. "I do owe you an apology,"

Gibbs shook his head, "You owe me nothing, however Tony and Katie are owed more than an apology, Katie sobbed herself to sleep as you managed to convince a six year old she was responsible for putting her aunt into a wheelchair, She may be smart Sam, but she's still a child and being smart means she over thinks things."

Ruth looked horrified. "Mr. Gibbs, do you think Tony will allow us to come and see Katie and explain, she needs to hear from us that she isn't responsible." Ruth asked.

"I think it would be good to try." Gibbs said, "I'll talk to Tony and see if he'll allow it." He got up and left.

* * *

Sam paced the living room after watching Gibbs drive off.

"How could you say that to a child…..our grandchild?" Ruth yelled at him.

"I didn't say that!" Sam said covering himself. "You saw Gibbs I'm not going to argue with him, he could have shot me!"

Ruth put her hands on her hips and stared at her husband. "For years I missed out on my daughter's life because of your idiocy, Samuel Todd, No more. You will drive me to Tony DiNozzo's house and you will apologize to him and our granddaughter or I will be divorcing you." She glowered at him and he actually felt himself shrink.

"Yes dear," He said meekly and went to get his keys.

"And so help me Samuel if you EVER do anything to upset them again, I'll make you wish I had divorced you!" Ruth called up at his retreating back.

* * *

Tony sat watching Katie sleep.

For the life of him, he had never been able to understand the attitude of Cait's parents, his own father he finally, as much as he understood; his problem had been drink, bringing up a child that wasn't his and of course Tony himself, and maybe a small part was the fact Senior was an idjit. However, Katie was a beautiful child who had never hurt anyone or been anything but loving and kind, which Tony assumed was all of Cait's influence in Katie's early years.

Tony could take any amount of bashing at his expense but her's… He looked up as Abby and Ziva pulled up to the house in Ziva's car the wheels screeching against the curb. He stood up, rolled his eyes at her terrible driving and walked to the door.

"Hey Tony!" Abby said holding a huge cake, "We heard Rachel was coming home and we wanted to bring you guys a cake." Abby said hoping she had not offended him, more than anything she knew his hold to the team was tenuous and if he was going to even consider coming back she had to change her ways with him. More than that, she wanted too.

That was something Tony appreciated. He gave her a quick hug, "Katie's asleep and Rachel and Sarah are in the back, go through to the kitchen, there's a door to Rachel's part of the house there, ring the bell, she may be free." He suggested. Abby clomped as quietly as she could through the house as Ziva turned to Tony.

"Do you think you'll be coming back to work soon?" She asked.

Tony smiled, "I talked to Vance earlier, I'm coming back next week, and Rachel will be settled then and able to take over Katie's education." He said.

"Will you miss it…Being a stay at home parent?" Ziva asked. She had always had nannies and tutors to look after her as her father worked.

"I will miss the extra time I'm spending with Katie now, but I need to work and she knows this, with Vance now knowing about her and with me not needing to be so careful about it, I can take any extra time I need. This is how it should have been after Cait died, I made the mistake in not telling the team and I think in some way you all knew I was hiding something." Tony admitted.

He looked up as another car pulled up. One he did not recognize.

Ziva immediately noticed the change in his demeanor and moved herself unconsciously into the optimum position to defend Katie.

The door knocked and Tony opened it.

"What the Hell are you doing here?" He growled.

 


	16. Chapter 16

Tony couldn't believe his eyes out of all the people to ever turn up as his house; he was not someone he would ever have expected.

Sid Johnson had only met Tony DiNozzo twice before and they had both been memorable meetings.

He was in the ER being patched up the day his truck had skidded and hit the car carrying the woman and child on the beltway in the snow. He had been drunk and belligerent having left home hours before after finding his wife in bed with another woman. I mean how was a man supposed to react to that, when she had laughed and told him that Shelia was all the 'man' she'd ever need. So he promptly walked into his local bar and got plastered. Several hours later with two broken arms and a broken leg sitting nursing a hell of a hangover in ER a fed walked in and started screaming at him until he was dragged away by security.

The officer guarding him until he could be arrest told him his truck had flipped he had hit a car carrying a six year old girl and her aunt. The girl was unconscious and the aunt would probably never walk again. The man was a decorated federal Agent whose wife the girl's mother had died in the line of duty. He had discovered after learning the man's name.

The Second time he had met him was at his arraignment hearing when the Agent had glared at him as he was sentenced for his crime.

He had gone to jail for three months for drunk driving and had completed the twelve step program….well most of it. He needed closure he needed to apologize to this family he had so wronged which was why he was standing at the man's door now and looking into the face of one severely pissed off federal agent.

* * *

"Mr. DiNozzo…Please I just want …..I need to…" Sid rambled he just wanted to let them know how sorry he was for his actions, however standing here now trying to put what he needed to say into words he found himself failing miserably.

Tony stood waiting his body place protectively between this man and his house. "Well."

"I did my time, I know what I did was wrong, I needed to come and see you and apologize to your family."

Tony walked up to him and Ziva put a hand on her gun, not entirely knowing whom she would be protecting.

"You. Don't get to set foot near any members of my family... ever…." He snarled, "And if I ever see your car near any of them, I will arrest you myself. Do I make myself clear?" Tony growled sounding more like Gibbs than Ziva had ever heard him.

Sid gulped and took a backward step down off of the porch. "Look, like I said I'm sorry, I'd had a bad day." He said trying to justify himself.

"AND THAT'S AN EXCUSE FOR NEARLY KILLING MY FAMILY...INJURING MY CHILD AND DESTROYING THE LIFE OF MY SISTER IN LAW!" Tony screamed at him.

Sid fell back onto his butt visibly shaken.

"No….No sir it isn't." he said sadly.

Tony looked over as another car pulled up and Ruth and Sam got out.

Inwardly as furious with Sid as he was Tony groaned, he didn't need this either. "I swear to God, If I ever see you again…." Tony left the threat hanging in the air as Sid got up and ran past a shocked looking couple.

Tony stood up and looked at them.

"Brilliant!" He said throwing his hands in the air and storming into the house.

"Tony?" Ziva asked, "Who was that man?"

"That was the asshole that hurt Katie and put Rachel in a chair for the rest of her life." Tony snapped he pulled his arm from her hand and walked inside up to his room.

* * *

Ruth and Sam walked up to the house as Ziva turned to go inside.

"Hello, we were hoping to see Tony DiNozzo, although if they are around we would love to see Katie and Rachel as well." Ruth asked politely.

Ziva turned to the couple she had seen them in the hospital but she wasn't sure exactly who they were. "Wait there please…who are you?" she asked.

"Ruth and Sam Todd, Rachel's parents." Ruth said.

Ziva looked away guiltily and closed the door up as she went upstairs to ask Tony if they could come in.

"Did you see that?" Sam said annoyed, "She must be something to DiNozzo; I bet he was having a thing with her when Cait died."

"Enough!" Ruth snapped, "Your mouth has already caused enough trouble, the poor girl probably just feels guilty for leaving us out here while she asks if it's ok for us to come in."

"Actually," A sleepy Katie said from the door, "She probably feels bad because her brother killed my momma. She stopped him from killing Papa and Daddy though." She yawned at her shocked grandparents.

"Katie!" Tony said as he came down the stairs overhearing what she had just said. He kissed his daughter on the head, "Go see Ziva and get something to eat until your mouth engages with your brain." He smiled at his daughter although he was shocked that she knew that fact about his teammate.

She beamed back at him, "Ok Daddy!" she shuffled off to the kitchen looking for pop tarts.

Ruth and Sam turned to look at Tony, "We owe you an apology," Ruth said.

Tony stood blinking, he really was gob smacked.

"Your father came to see us, what he said hurt," Ruth said, Sam opened his mouth but shut it at a look from her. "But he was right. We have been idiots, we loved Caitlyn and we would love to get to know Katie and you and have you both in our lives."

"About flaming time!" Rachel snapped wheeling up behind Tony and handing him a coffee from the tray on her lap. "Sarah thought you could use this."

"Thanks," Tony took the coffee and drank it down.

"You wanna come in." Tony said to Ruth and Sam. "You can see what we've done for Rachel and spend some time with Katie." He offered.

* * *

Ruth and Sam spent the next hour looking at all the adaptations that had been added for Rachel, her apartment area. The medical room, with all the supplies for her disability, the therapy room with an exercise cycle that had them both baffled.

"How does that work if you can use your legs?" she asked.

"It's a therapy cycle, Sarah straps my legs in and it's electrically operated so it moves on its own to simulate the motion of cycling, the muscles in my legs then get the same sort of exercise they would if I were walking so they don't atrophy too much," Rachel explained. "Also I have a bed that will move to a sitting position so I can sit up in bed and if I need to sleep with my feet up. Sitting in a chair for a long time can cause fluid to build up around my ankles; this bed helps dissipate the fluid while I sleep."

"And these?" Sam pointed to the touch panels around the apartment.

"Tony had those installed the house is fitted with voice activated smart controls." She said, "Watch….Curtains close left 15%" she said and the left curtain shut a small way.

Sam stared in awe. "Wow, that's amazing."

Tony smiled, "Rachel deserves the best, her actions saved my daughter's life and she is family." Tony smiled.

Katie got her laptop out and climbed up to the table. "Auntie Rachel, I'm starting my Hebrew whilst Ziva is here." She called out.

Rachel smiled at her parents.

"Ok, but you have to do some of your degree work this afternoon young lady," Rachel called back. She turned to Tony and her parents, "Looks like I have another free hour." She said with a smile.

"You teach her?" Ruth asked stunned.

Rachel rolled her eyes "Yes mom, my mind is fine, it's only my legs that don't work."

Ruth walked into the kitchen finding Ziva and Katie talking to each other in Hebrew, she walked out onto the back porch where Tony and Rachel were showing Sam the garden.

* * *

"Tony…I hope you don't mind me saying but Katie's really bright, I should think you would be very proud of her, she's a very special little girl." She said.

Tony smiled, "She is, she is a lot like her mother, will you guys be staying in her life, I would like you to and I know Cait would have wanted it, but not if you're going to mess her around." He added protectively.

Ruth looked at the young man who had married her daughter. She realized that they had missed out on so much because she had believed her husband's misguided concepts of the man now stood before her. "We were wrong and I know it doesn't make up for anything but I would love it if we could get to know you and Katie better, I can see that you are a good man who values his family and loves his daughter. Could you find it in your heart to give us another chance?" she asked.

Tony looked at the couple and sighed, he was sure he heard Cait laughing "Of course, you're family. We are having a family cook out tomorrow. Will you come?" he asked.

Tony and Gibbs had decided as a way to heal the rift that had formed in the team an annual family cook out would be in order, this seemed like a great time to invite Sam and Ruth too.

"We'd love too." Sam said smiling as he too realized that finally things could be on the mend.

 


	17. Chapter 17

It was really early as Katie got out of bed and slipped into her dad's room. She knew that all her grandparents were going to hopefully make it to the cook out today, Grandpa DiNozzo was always a wildcard, but she was ok with that. This however was her father's last day off from work and she wanted to make the most of it and she slipped into his bed for a morning cuddle.

"ARRRGGGHHH!" Tony yelled and sat bolt upright; "Midget! Your feet are freezing!" he said grabbing Katie and moving her feet away from his legs.

Katie gave her father the same smile her mother used to when she had one over on him, "I know daddy, that's why I climbed in to warm them up." She said with an innocent expression.

"sei un demonietto!" Tony said smiling at his daughter and gathering her up for a hug kissing the top of her head.

"Solo per te papà, per chiunque altro che sono un angelo" She grinned cheekily and snuggled into his embrace.

Tony looked over Katie's head, "Hey, Midget, it's nearly 6am you planning on letting your old man get some more sleep on his last day off?" He asked.

Katie looked stricken, "Daddy, if I sleep the day away I won't get to spend it with you, like you said it's your last day off, and you and Papa are back to work tomorrow, I won't get to see you as much. And I'll have to study more." She added with a small smirk.

"You could always not study?" Tony offered with a small smile.

Katie picked up a pillow and threw it at her father, "Daddy! I love to study, don't even joke about that."

Tony moved back, "Ouch!" he reached underneath him and pulled out another of Katie's teddy bears. "You left Chaucer in my bed!" He called as his daughter slipped out of the room.

Katie ran back in and grabbed the bear, "We've got to get ready, come on daddy they'll be here in a few hours!"

Tony ran a hand over his face, "Look you get changed and then you can slip through the back gate and wake up Papa ok?"

Katie beamed she loved the fact that there was a gate between her and her papa's house and even though she was smart being six meant she wasn't allowed many places alone, but as soon as Gibbs had put in that gate she was with permission allowed to go over to his house alone and she loved it.

"Yay!" She squealed and ran back to her room to get dressed.

"Yay." Tony echoed and pulled the duvet back over his head.

* * *

Gibbs was working in his basement when he heard his back door open and he heard Katie's footsteps above his head in the kitchen.

"Down here Katie bear!" he called.

"Hi Papa, Daddy said I could come and see you all by myself." She said smiling.

Gibbs looked at his watch, 0700hrs, "Daddy still in bed?" he asked with a grin.

"Yeah, he's still sleepy, are you coming to the cookout today?" she asked hoping he wasn't going to have to go on a case and miss a cookout, she had understood years ago that her parents and her Papa had important jobs and sometimes they couldn't be there for things they had planned as the bad guys didn't know they had plans.

"Of course, I'm on leave too, besides who else will make your favorite steak if I'm not there?" He asked.

Katie smiled, "You know daddy asked Nonna and Papa Todd to the cookout too…I think they like me…." She said softly.

Gibbs flashed a full only reserved for Katie smile at his granddaughter, "What's not to like, your perfect!" he exclaimed and held out his arms so Katie could give him a hug.

There were times, well a lot of times when Gibbs missed Kelly, and having Katie around was sometimes bittersweet but he loved having time alone with his granddaughter she in turn loved spending time with him, she knew about Kelly and as they worked on whatever woodworking project he was undertaking he would tell her all about her Aunt Kelly and Grandma Shannon and some of the exploits Kelly got up to at her age.

Gibbs handed her a sanding block, "Come on you can help me with this." He said handing a small tray to her, "We are making a special tray for your auntie Rachel." He told her and showed her his plans.

* * *

Two hours later it was finally finished he had lacquered it up and placed it to dry and held out his hand for Katie.

"Come on, I think your dad has slept in enough." He grinned.

Walking back into Tony's he saw Rachel and Sarah at the breakfast table, "Have you both eaten?" Sarah asked after saying good morning to them both. Gibbs nodded and Katie shook her head.

"Sit then." Sarah said and dished out a bowl of fruit loops to Katie as Gibbs poured two coffees.

Tony turned over, he could smell coffee.

Gibbs smiled at the sight of his son's hair poking out of the top of the duvet and his arm reaching for the coffee he could smell. Reminding him of holidays when Tony had come home and gradually gotten a taste for coffee, Gibbs had some mornings made Tony a coffee and watched as first the teenager, then the young man and finally the man had woken stretching for his drink and never thinking about how he'd drink it before he sat up.

Finally Tony groaned and hauled himself up to a sitting position and rubbed his eyes, blinked tiredly at his dad and reached his hand out expectantly.

"Morning." Gibbs said handing Tony his coffee. Tony grunted and took a big sip of his drink, "God, That's good!" he sighed. "What's…?" He stopped and made a face and reached under the duvet again rolled his eyes and pulled Katie's rag doll out of his bed. "Good grief dad, I swear she's slowly moving her room into mine." He tossed the doll onto the end of the bed and took another gulp of coffee. "I take it she woke you up?" he asked with a small smile.

Gibbs shook his head "Nope been up for hours, got the fire built for the cookout already, I'm going to pick up A.D and Jackson from the bus station later, unless you've heard different?" he said not wanting to point out that sometimes Tony's other father would forget or reschedule his visits.

Tony grinned, "Nope talked to him last night, he's coming gonna stick around for a few days for Katie, I think he's worried the Todd's will be competition for him so he's putting in the extra effort. The team will be here in a few hours as well," Tony took a deep breath "I invited Vance, Jackie and the Kids." He said.

"He knows about Katie and Rachel, but I haven't told him about you and me," Gibbs said.

Tony grinned, "Well, if scuttlebutt hasn't taken care of that already, he'll find out today, besides, I'm hoping that Katie will make friends with Jared and Kayla and it might soften him up a bit. Also he called as Jackie wanted to meet Katie."

Gibbs grinned; having Jackie around would also make it a lot easier for Vance to except they were related.

Tony looked his dad in the eye, "Dad, you don't think Vance would split the team up?" he asked.

Gibbs stopped and looked at his son, he hadn't seen that worried look on his son's face since Cait died, he took a drink of his coffee and swallowed before he answered "He could, he is the Director, but I'm betting he won't, we are his top team and the track record of arrests shows we can work together without a major conflict of interest." He said honestly.

"Things are just working out, Finally the team see me as a person rather than comic relief, Rachel's as well as she's going to get and is settled, Katie's getting on with Cait's parents and I'm scared something will come along to ruin it." Tony admitted.

There were not many times that Tony would bare his soul to anyone, but Gibbs had learned that early morning coffee with his son, before he woke up properly and got his front ready for the day was the best time for father son chats.

Gibbs reached over and took the empty mug, "Come on, we have a busy day, get yourself in the shower and I'll meet you downstairs." Gibbs told him and headed off downstairs as Tony finally got out of bed.

As he shut the door to Tony's room Gibbs looked up at the heavens and sent a quick prayer up to Cait and his girls, "Please let Vance keep us together, Tony doesn't need anything bad to happen to him." He breathed out a breath he had been holding in since Tony had started talking and went to finish setting the fire up for the cookout and mentally prep himself for the afternoon.


	18. Chapter 18

By the time Tony made it downstairs Katie and Rachel were making pizza and pasta for the cookout, the steaks were on the counter in a dish marinating and music was already playing at a low level.

"Jazz?" Tony asked as he walked in the kitchen.

"It's Uncle Tim's CD." Katie said happily as she ran over to hug her father.

"Uncle Tim?" Tony asked the hint of a grin crossing his face.

Katie looked at her father, "Tim said I could call him that, that's ok isn't it?"

Tony smiled; he had always wanted his team to be like family to his daughter. But he had never thought it would happen.

"Sure, Katie-bear," Tony grinned. He grabbed a beer and walked out to the garden where the team were setting up chairs and making a space for Rachel to sit.

"Tony!" Abby called and ran over to hug him. "We came early to help, hope that's ok."

Tony returned the hug, "Its fine Abbs, I appreciate you all coming over to help."

"Daddy! Has Papa gone to get Poppa D and Grandpa Jack?" Katie called coming out.

"Yes he has and he's back!" Gibbs called.

Katie was so excited, she had had few small family gatherings over the years, and gone to restaurants with her father and Senior, but never had she had such a big family gathering in the back yard, not only that but her father's boss was coming with his children so she had other kids to play with. With it being Memorial Day, Katie had been working on a project for her Papa and this was the first time all her grandparents plus her father's workmates would be together in the same place.

Katie flew into her Grandfathers' arms, "Papa!" then she hugged her Poppa D and Grandpa Jack giving each of them a kiss in turn.

* * *

Tony sat back watching Katie run around; he loved these moments where she was the six year old child, rather than the educational prodigy. She was giggling like a lunatic as Abby and Ziva tickled her. The doorbell rang and Tony went to get it and Katie ran to show Ducky and Jimmy her latest project.

Opening the door he was surprised to see that Vance, Jackie and the children had turned up at the same time as Cait's parents.

"Director, Mrs. Vance…Sam, Ruth come on in." Tony said ushering them in.

"DiNozzo, Thanks for having us," Leon said, "I'm looking forward to meeting this little girl of yours I've heard so much about."

"Tony, thank you for inviting us, Call him Leon, you're not a work now." Jackie said smiling.

Tony took her jacket and hung it up, "Everyone is out the back, if you want to join them."

They all walked out into the garden.

"Nonna Ruth, Poppa Sam!" Katie called and ran over to hug her other Grandparents.

Ruth crouched down, "Katie honey, I got you a present." She said handing Katie a bag with a book in it.

Katie smiled "Thank you." She opened it and sat on the step. "I….it's lovely." She said and looked over towards her father.

Tony noticed the change in his daughter, "You ok honey?" he asked quietly as everyone else introduced each other.

"Nonna and Poppa Sam…they gave me this….it's….it's momma." She said she was surprised by the gift, it was nice but she had been surprised to see pictures of her momma as a little girl and growing up in an album.

Tony was stunned, they were placed lovingly in the Album and under each picture was a small written piece about her mother and what she had been doing in each picture.

"I need to get something Daddy, can I take this upstairs, I want to look at it tonight with you, but I need to get something for Papa." Tony kissed his daughter on the head and nodded.

As she went upstairs he turned back to his guests.

Walking up beside Ruth and Sam, Tony turned to them, "Thank you…She didn't have any pictures of her mother growing up, this means a lot to her."

"Hopefully, we will be able to tell her lots about her mother." Ruth said smiling. She gave Tony a hug, "Thank you for this second chance."

"Sam, you want a beer?" Tony offered and Sam followed him to the bucket full of ice and beer in the corner of the garden.

"Director?" Tony called repeating the same offer.

* * *

"Leon," Vance said, and took a beer from him. "Your little girl is very pretty; I wish I had known Agent Todd,"

Tony smiled, "I know I shouldn't have kept her from you Director, but I was protecting my family." He admitted,

"Well I must admit, had I known you were a single parent, I would never have assigned you as an agent afloat." Leon said.

"I…I know, but keeping my family safe was my first priority, and I had a good support system."

"But surely if you had at least told Agent Gibbs, I could have transferred you somewhere else." Leon insisted.

"Agent Gibbs has known about Katie since she was born, he was the only one I did trust, however I told him not to say anything," Tony informed his boss.

Leon nodded in understanding, "That explains why he fought so hard to get you back." He told Tony.

"Er, yeah…about Gibbs…" Tony started as Katie ran back into the garden.

"Papa!" she yelled and Gibbs turned around and lifted her up, "I made you something for Memorial Day," She said

She pulled out a picture of the American flag and a Marine, "Look it's you Grandpa." She said smiling.

"That's nice," Jackie said, "She calls your boss, Grandpa."

Tony tensed as Katie looked around, "But he is my Grandpa, he's daddy's daddy." She said.

Vance looked at Tony and then Gibbs and motioned them to follow him.

"Is this true?" He asked.

Gibbs and Tony nodded, "We didn't share it as it wasn't relevant." Gibbs said,

"Wasn't relevant?"

"Morrow knew, Shepard knew and I figured you knew, I thought Jen would have left a note for you." Gibbs said, "You're not splitting my team up are you Leon?" he asked.

Vance looked at them, he could see the resemblance a bit…if he squinted, "No, you guys are the best team we have; I'd be crazy to mix you up."

The two men relaxed, "However from now on if one of you is injured, the other is restricted from investigating, I will not have any investigations compromised."

"Ok Leon," Gibbs said as he put a hand on Tony's shoulder.

The three men walked out into the yard and rejoined the party.

Katie ran up and hugged her dad, "did I do something wrong?" she asked.

Gibbs picked her up and tipped her upside down as she giggled, "Nope munchkin, you did something right."

"Papa! No! It tickles." She laughed and he turned her the right way up.

Gibbs moved to the grill and started the steaks.

* * *

The entire afternoon and evening was a success. Just before it was their turn to leave Tony clinked his glass and got everyone's attention.

"Guy's, Girls, kids, Parents and Director." He said grinning. "I want to thank you for coming to my home on this beautiful day, and for joining me and my family on this Memorial Day when we remember our fallen, To this end I want to raise a glass to our fallen soldiers and law enforcement officers and this year make a toast to a special fallen comrade, To…to my wife Caitlyn DiNozzo. Known to most of you as Caitlyn Todd killed two years ago in the line of Duty and to Jenny Shepard our former director, and I want to raise my glass to a man I am most proud of, My Father Leroy Jethro Gibbs, who fought for his Country and with the help of my other father, Anthony DiNozzo Senior, had the difficult task of raising me."

He paused as there were a few chuckles.

"This year has been incredibly hard on my family, I was stationed abroad for six months then, my daughter and sister in law were in a horrific accident. This however turned out to be a blessing in disguise, it allowed me to bring in friends and colleagues who have now become more than family to me, and have allowed me to share a part of me, I was keeping hidden. I am grateful to have all of you in my life and to be able to share that of mine and my daughters with you…..So if you will raise your glasses….To family, past, present and future, may we always be this happy." He said and looked as a shaft of sunlight broke through the canopy of trees at the end of the garden.

"To family." They all chorused back.

A light breeze blew across Tony's ear, "To family…." He heard whispered in Cait's voice. He smiled at what he was sure was his wife standing under the tree canopy and then turned as his other family called him back.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this, I hope one day to revisit this again as a sequel.


End file.
